It will be recalled that the American Naval authorities in the Far East have been pressing for a long] time for the replacement of sone of the existing American men-of-war in Chinese waters with newer' Jand more efficient vessels, and that, about six months ago, it was dejeided that six new gunboats, for service on Chinese rivers, should be Jeonstructed, authority for this being given by the U. S. Congress.
may also be recalled that there was a strong movement in the United States, when. the fact that} ithe vessels were to be built became known, that they should be.constructed in the United States, or alternatively, that the majority of ithe material' should be of American origin.
Tt was finally decided that the ships should be built in the Far} East, where all of the big shipbuilding yards have had much experience in constructing vessels of shallow draft, and tenders were accordingly called for a few months ago.
Many tenders were submitted by, Far Eastern shipbuilding concerns, the lowest being that of the Shanghai Dock and Engineering Ca., Ld, whose price worked out at "an ge of G§107,500 per vessel, The next lowest, was the fender of the New Engineering and Shipbuilding Work whose average price was Tls. 184,000 per Vessel; and the next that of the Kiangnan Dock and Engineering Works (a Chinese Government-owned concern), whose price was G$154,000 per vessel.
In the original specifications, on which the above tenders were based, Diesel engines, to be supplied by. the U.S.' Government, were to be fitted in the ships, and the U. S. authorities were also to supply bullet-proof armour-plating fand certain auxiliaries.
Wo understaind that was afterwards represented to the U. S._ authorities that for the work the and it was finally decid. am engines should be No new tenders were called for im consequence of this change of and the contract for the! whole six ships was awarded to the Chinese Government concern, whose price, as will be seen from the subjoined list, was higher that of either of the other two Shanghai shipbuilding yards.
Particulars of the most important tenders submitted are as follows:—
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.