New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-08
tFrom The Tribune Bureau

Washington, June General Goe-
thals is virtually charged with jeop-
ardizing the chances of beating the
submarine peril by his insistence for
steel, as against wooden, ships, in
statements formally issued tonight by
two employees of the Shipping Board,
F. Huntington Clark and F. a. Eustis.
Eustis and Clark are the original
wooden-ship men. They came to Wash
ington talking of a feet of thousand
wooden ships, which would solve the
U-boat problem. They converted
Chairman Denman of the Shipping
Board and others. Some think they
had something to do with the retire
ment from the board of Bernard ~.
Baker, of Baltimore, known to be
strongly opposed to wooden ships save
as a stop-gap.
Then General Goethals came in,
stepped on the whole wooden ship idea
and finally converted Mr.. Denman to
his own opinion, as evidenced by Mr..
Denman's testimony before the Senate
subcommittee.
As soon as he heard of the state
ments issued by Eustis and Clark
Chairman Denman sent out a statement
disclaiming any knowledge of them.
~ have previously Indicated con-
cludes Mr.. Denman, my opinion as TO
places where discussions Of such a
serious character should be initiated.
Apparently these gentlemen do not
agree with me-"
Mr.. Clark's statement said:
"As far as we can learn the present
programme contemplates about 3,OO0,-
600 tons of shipping in eighteen
months. This amount was sunk IN the
first four months of this year and the
shortage is already appalling. The
wooden ship programme has been cut
TO about one-ffth of its original size
apparently to make room for steel
ships. 1t is possible to build of wood
/ 100000 tons more than are at pres
ent complated, without in the slightest
degree interfering with the steel con-
struction.
Shipping Crisis December |
"A crisis in shipping will arise
about December /, and our Allies and
our success depends on our ability 10
begin TO produce ships by that time.
Very few steel ships can be produced
in time. The early ships will be the
wooden ships. and they may decide the
issue. The plan Of fabricating ships
of structural steel is a splendid one
and it will succeed, but new and un-
expected delays will be encountered in
carrying it out. On the other hand.
the wooden ship is as old as civilization
and there are no uncertainties regard
ing its construction.
EVEN if we build all the wooden
ships we can in addition TO the steel.
we can only hope for total of 5,000.-
600 tons in eighteen months. This is
not nearly enough In deliberately neg
lecting 100000 tons Of wooden ships
we are taking terrible chances.
"The construction OF wooden ships
has been limited in many ways. The
standard design is difficult TO build. re-
quires a high percentage of skilled ship
carpenters, large timbers and much
, hand labor This shir is too large for
the Welland Canal locks. eliminating "A
large number Of ships which could be
/ built in the Great Lakes. Many Maine
builders will not build the standard
, ships. as il represents "a radical depart
ure from their established practice.
, "We have another design which could
| be built much more easily and much
more rapidly which has been accepted
/ by the American Bureau Of Shipping
and by Mr.. Ferris, the boards consult
ing architect, and which many builders
prefer.
"The original form Of contract called
for payment on the bpsis of cost plus
a fat fec. The pressnt policy is to
insist on contracts on n fat price. put