New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-21
General and Shipping
Board Have Not Dis
agreed, Says Chairman
Explains Programme
Forced to Use Wood to Sup
plement Steel Vessels, State
ment Asserts
from The Tribune Bureaul


Washington, May 20.-Cho~mon
Denman OF the Shipping Board to-
dan issued a statement denying the
reported disagreement betoeen Gen-
eral Goethdls and the board regard
ina the emergency shipbuilding pro-
qromme. Mr. Denmdn'S statement
says:
The Shipping Board has viewed with
establishment the suggestion that there
has been any disagreement between
General Goethals and the board con-
corning the emergency shipbuilding
programme Of the United States. The
statement has been directly made that
General Goethals disagreed with the
boards project of stimulating the con-
struction of wooden ships, when
should be added TO the steel ships un-
der construction 10 make an American
fleet large enough to Offset the SINK
inqs Of the German submarine. | de-
sire to deny categorically this state
ment and TO assert that there is not
now, and never has been, any as
agreement between General Goethais
and the board on this or any other
question Of policy.
Driven by Necessity
The Shipping Board has never wanted
TO build wooden ships, but has been
driven to it by necessity.
Before entering into the wooden
shirhuilding project the board can
vassed the steel shipbuilding industry
and found that il could get no con-
tracts for the building of steel YES
sells in large number for government
account. While we did not know 1t at
that time. VIC afterward discovered that
the reason for this was that the Brit
ish government had contracted for near
" all Of the available space in Ameri-
can wards for British merchant ships.
Early in March the boards represent
alive called on General Cocktails and
asked his opinion of the advisability OF
building this supplemental wooden ton
mage. General Goethals expressed his
approval of the project. but with the
same feeling Of regret that we all OF
us felt on being driven by necessity to
accent the inferior fabric. Subsequent
~. and two weeks before the matter
was presented TO the President. Gen
eral Goethals called on us and again
expressed this point Of view.
At this time we were OF the opinion
that VIC could not stimulate TO any OK
tent the production Of steel vessels.
After we had a convention OF the
wooden ship builders covering several
davs. attended by majority of the
owners of wooden shipbuildng yards
on the Atlantic Coast and some build
crs from the Pacific. and after q careful
canvass Of the boiler and engine fac
tories that were not engaged in sup
plvinr these facilities for steel ships.
we presented our wooden shipbuildlng
project TO the President.
President Approved Project
We we're required TO do this under
the provisions Of the law. This project
named General Goethals as its possible
manager. and the first mention OF the
general to the President came from
this suggestion to the Shipping Board.
The project was approved by the Presi-
dent and tho Council Of National De
fence. and We again requested the Pres
idcnt 10 urge upon General Cocktails
to accept the management Of the en-
terprlse.
Before the general became connected
with the enterprise as its manager the
board expressed a hope that it would
be able TO produce 100000 tons per
month Of wooden ships eight months
after the organization OF the scheme
was perfected. The general has never
committed himself 10 any figure, either
as matter of scientific hope or eX-