Norwich bulletin., 1917-06-08
G0ethaIS ASsaiIed
 As 0bstruCtionist
BECAUSE OF OPPOSITION TO
 BUILDING OF WOODEN SHIPS
MADE BY F. A. EUSTIS
Assistant General Manager of the Emergency Fleet Corporation Charg-
 es That Gen. GoethaIs Has Prescrib-
 ed an Impossible Form of Contract.

Washington, June '. - Differences over the governments wooden ship building program came to head to- night when F. A. Eustis, assistant general manager of the emergency fleet corpartion, and his assistant, F. Hunt ington Clark, issued statements virtu- ally charnig Major General George w. Goethals, general manager of the cor poration, with halting building of the vessels by prescribing an impossible form of contract.
 The statements reveal that the fleet corporation has just received offers from 10 firms to build 496 wooden ships within 12 months or 786 within IS months. General Goethais has turned the proposals down because the build CTS wish to construct the ships on a cost plus 10 per cent. profit basis in stead Of contracting for a flat price.
 Originated Wooden Ship Plan.
 MT Eustis and MT. Clark are the mining engineers who originated the wooden shipbuilding plan adopted by the shipping board When the board formed the fleet corporation and put General Goethals at it's head with full powers to build ships the two engi- neers were assigned to the corporation a the generals aides.
 After taking charge of the building program General Goethals turned to steel construction and limited the Wooden program to not more than 25O ships in IS months. Mir. Eustis and MT. Clark contend the corporation can build 2,000 wooden ships within that time without interfering with steel building.
 GoethaIs Could Not Be Seen.
 General Goethals could not be seen tonight for comment on the state ments. Chairman Denman of the ship ping board, who has been represented as opposing General Goethals plans to restrict wooden building said:
 'TNone of the members of the ship ping board had any knowledge of the statements attributed to the engineers, MT. Eustis and MT. Clark, intimating a refusal by General Gfoethals to build as many wooden ships as he might, nor had they the slightest intima tion that they were to be issued. General GoethaIs, as head of the emergency fleet corporation, in the service of tire responsibility for the shipbuilding program, wood and steel That power was given him when the board was organized, April Is, 1917.
 "The board has not insisted that either wood or steel be given prefer ence. All that we desire is the maxi mum of quickly constructed tonnage for immediate war necessities. Gen eral GoethalS has not requested any assistance from the shipping board, and any request for assistance that he might have made or will make would have been and will be given inn mediate attention"
 Expect Designations Will Be Asked For
 MT. Eustis and MT. Clark are serving the fleet corporation without pay. Both indicated tonight that they expected their resignations would be asked but declared they felt it to be their duty to put the situation before the Amer ican people and show them that ships can be built to overcome the German submarine campaign.
 MT. Clark explained tonight the tan gle over commitments for wooden ships. When first employed, he and Mir. EUStis, he directed several ship building companies to go ahead with wooden shipbuilding, leaving the form of contract to be determined on later The builders. he said, were given to understand that they would get at least 10 per cent. on their work Gen eral GoethaIs, he said, on taking charge, stopped all work and the pros pective builders had been unable to obtain any satisfaction as to whether they would be given contracts