New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-12-22
SHIPPING PROGRAM
MOVING STEADILY
Hurley Takes Full Responsibility
For Future Building

washington, Dec. ZZ.-Amer1Ca
shipping program is moving steadily
and surely to successful completion, in
spite of tremendous obstacles ham,
pering it from without and the past
dissensions within the organization
charged with bringing an adequate
merchant marine into being. This
epitomizes the testimony with which
Edward N. Hurley, chairman of the
shipping boa I'd, yesterday opened tho
Senate committees investigation for
the shipping situation.
From Mr.. Hurley and from John A.
! Donald, who has been a member OF
| the board since it's creation, the COM
mittee drew a long story of the
! troubles of the board and the fleet
corporation, starting with the row at
the outset between William Dennan,
first chairman of the board, and
Major General Goethals, first general
manager of the Fleet corporation.
Mr.. Hurley, who met the commit
tee with the utmost frankness, admit
ted that there had been delays, but de-
clared that the recent reorganization
of the boards emergency fleet cor
poration for the first time gave the
chairman Of the board proper author
ity and fixed responsibility where it
belonged. The dual organization of
the board and the corporation, he said,
had been done away with. and the
present general manager of the cor
poration answered directly to the
chairman.
When Mr.. Hurley had completed his
story, the Investigators, instead OF
criticising him, asked whether there
was anything Congress could do to
help him.
II don't know Of anything right
now" he responded. 1.-THE present or
ganization is the only way that ships
can be built. If we don't turn out
ships steadily and rapidly from now
on, it will be because the man at the
head of the shipping board and the
emergency fleet corporation is not eff
f1cient.
1--WE have the situation we'll in
hand. We are a going concern. The
difficulties that still exist are being re-
moved as rapidly as we can remove
them"
In response to the committees re-
quest for all data possessed by the
Shipping board on contracts and con-
struction, Mr.. Hurley presented a
great mass Of documents. The con-
tents of these he summed up in a
statement which he read to the COM
mittee soon after taking the stand
The statement follows:
AT the outset of this inquiry,
would like to say that the Shipping
board, approaching the fact that the
senate's desire is to be of nationa
service, welcomes a thorough investi-
CATION of it's activities and accom-
plishments. I am especially glad OF
the opportunity which this investiga-
ton affords to disclose the actual facts
in the situation.
when Admiral Capps and joined
the Emergency Fleet corporation on
July 81, 1917, there were under con-
tract $4,000 tons Of wooden ships,
100000 tons of composite ships and
5S7, 900 tons of steel ships. Since then
additional contracts amounting to
3,378,2O0 tons of steel ships and
$4,000 tons of wooden ships have
been placed.
TN addition, the Fleet corporation
has rendered financial aid to and is
directing the work of extension and
development in forty-two yards. The
remaining new yards are being con-
structed by private capital. A portion
of the contracts placed since July ~
were prepared and practically closed
by our predecessors.
lit must be borne in mind that this
vast program Of construction under
taken in the last nine months was
superimposed on a navy program
which was the equivalent in dollars,
and, therefore, in shipbuilding effort,
of the construction of 100000 tons
of merchant shipping. The navy pro-
gram absorbed practically 70 per cent.
of the eighteen prominent yards in
existence at the beginning of the war
with Germany, the remaining 80 per
cent of these yards being taken up
with construction Of merchant ship
ping, for both foreign and American
account, which was requisitioned I'M
der the order of August 3. This ton
mage is now being completed under
the supervision and control OF the
Emergency Fleet corporation"