The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-11
Charles .Piez and Other Or
ganizers Added to Erner-
gency Fleet Force
DELAY In FURNISHING
MATERIAL REPORTED
New Snap to Be Placed In
Organization to Meet Sub
marine Menace With Plenty
of Tonnage

| Warrington, Nov. 1o.-BecAuae the
business OF building ships for the
United States emergency fleet has
not produced vessels speedily enough.
"a practical reorganization of the
Emergency Fleet corporation was
announced tonight.
Big business men have been put
In charge. And from now on the en-
tire work will Re conducted as any
one of Americas great corporations
would be by big organizers. The fol-
lowing men have been named to push
the work with alI haste:
i Charles Piez. Of Chicago, presi-
dent of the Link Belt company, and
with the reputation of being one OF
the biggest business organizers in the
country. named as yice-president Of
the Emergency Fleet corporation;
James Heyworth. OF Chicago, cofitrac-
tor: A. J. Mason. Of Chicago. engineer:
Charles Day. of Philadelphia. contrac-
tor; Frank Kirby. OF New York. aren't
tect; John Burton Payne. OF Chicago.
lawyer.
Definite delineatfon Of the positions
ana duties OF the six men have rot yet
been worked out completely. But to
Mr.. PieZ will be given the Job OF turn
ing out Americas ships with speed.
He will have to organize his = own
program and re VIII be gwen fun
sway. II was made quite clear at the
shipping board offices that Rear
ADMIRAL Washington ]. Capps, now
general manager Of the Emergency
Fleet corporation nd his assistant
Rear-Adniral r. T. BowIes, win not
be quite az active and inuentiai an
h&rAfHYHra. ThAra
Admira! Capps had ressFnef Nut ~to4
night the naval officer denied that such
was the case. He said there was no
coHnict OF function. no dispute and
that all ware working to the best OF
their ability to produce the vessels re-
lquired and contra c.ed for,
Whatever the ultimate position of
Admiral Caps and Admiral Rowies.
/ 1t is known that the production OF the
government vessels was way behind
the tentative program.
| Lack ot Zig BUSINESS Meshfs.x
/ Lack or business methods vas
ascrfhed RS the cause This was learn
eo through committee composed OF
j Mr. Pies, MIR. Mason, Mr.. Day and Mr.
hifp ny. who made an investigation Of
the shipyards OF the country TO ind
out why tho delay on the forthcoming
neet. They reported that there was a
: iack OF coordination OF the work. that
material was not provided properly,
! mat specincatlons were changed over
nisht and that In many cases the dack
nad been supplied for the vessels even
hefore the keel lum ber had been shin
ped. Everything pointed TO a lack OF
ntg business methods
var. FleZ Was appointed vice preai-
| gent or the emergency feet corpora
tfon week ago. but in that fact there
was little indication that there would
ne an. overturntng OF the organization
lie has the reputation of being one OF
the strongest big business organizers
or The country, being Identified with
corporations with large interests NOT
only In Chica go, but In Philadelphia
| ana Indianapolis. He is verysfrtentaly
with the labor orga niya lions through
OUT the country and Ia said never to
nave had strike in HIS plants. He
becomes really the active head OF The
emergency fleet corporation, because
a. vice-president he In next to Ed
ward ", Hurley. president OF the cor
poration and chairman Of the United
States shipping board. The other
men will all work in CLOSE co-opera-
ton with Mr.. Plea As was explained
at tho shipping board:
| Use Business Methods.
The reorganization OF the corpo-
ration in the three months OF tn
work had not been rettfng what was
necdeds business methods will be used
| now instead of naval methods. The
designs of the vessels all haze been
drawn. the specifications laid down
ana the contracts let. It is simply the
business OF better orgA nixation OF the
whole work on business principles.
| Tho ships have got to be turned out"
1 t.
per cent behind in it's supply Of wood.
There are now $40 wooden ships In
process OF construction and con-
| tracted for. Probably no more will
/, be wanted. There are 2ea fabricated
ships to be built The steel pro-
gram has not been delayed to such an
| extent because they are longer in the
making and their construction did not
| call for such speed as the wooden
and fabricated vessels.
The program calls for 100000
tons of vessels by the end of 1918.
| 1t WAS said that with the proper APP
! plication the reorga nized corporation
will be able to meet that and more-
over keep up to the schedule which
will provide loco 900 tons of ship
ping by the end of 1919
| Mr.. Heyworth will devote his time
entirely to the wooden ship problem.
Mr.. Day is now In London where he
| is studying the English method OF
ship building. MFR. Mason probably
will devote all his time 70 field work,
watching the delivery OF material in
all the yards and the progress OF The
work. One particular feature he will
concentrate on will be the delivery OF
material, the eastern coast shiobuiid-
ers having complained to me ship
ping board that they could noe get