US government ordered building destroyers according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1917-1918 no. 4

An item referred to the magazine Shipping Illustrated dated 31 March 1917 reporting that the US government ordered the building of 24 destroyers divided over Union Iron Works at San Francisco (10), Fire River Shipbuilding Co. (8) and Cramp&Son (6). The boats built under supervision with 10% profit had a displacement of 1.200 ton, a peed of 25 miles and a armament consisting of 4x3 torpedo launching devices, 4-10,2cm guns and 2-3,7cm anti aircraft guns. Further more was the intention to let the Maryland Steel Co. (part of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation) and some smaller shipyards built the next destroyers. The building programs for 1917 and 1918 included 20 and 15 units of which four were to be built by the Bath Iron Works for a fixed price.