The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1917-07-24
President Takes Hand In Dispute
Between Denman and
GoethaIs.
VESSELS NOW Being BUILT
-, Wooden and Steel ships Will es
Constructed for Merchant Marine
70 Carry Food and Supplies
Across the Water.
BY EDWARD q. CLARK.

taken hand in the controversy which
has ragged holly for some time over the
question as to whether steel ships or
wooden ships should be built to give
MS a merchant marine which can carry
food and supplies quickly across the
water. Both steel ships and wooden
ships will be constructed.
Washington officials say that what
the administration, and doubtless the
American people with It, have desired,
is that ships shall be built as quickly
as possible. Major General Goethals,
who was put In charge Of the shipping
program, and William Denman, al
miralty lawyer, who is the head Of
the shipping board, differed In opinion
as to whether steel or wooden ships
should be built, and the controversy
became SO furious that the president
had to take hand. Now both steel
and wooden ships are In the first
stages Of construction. and probably
by next January manv Of the wooden
ships will be carrying cargoes to
Great Britain. France and Italy.
1t is no secret In Washington that
the administration for long time was
pretty close to the point of anger over
this row between the soldier and the
admiralty lawyer. There ere certain
things which make it appear that in
administration circles there is feel
ing that the wooden ship program, as 4
quick-movlng proposition, has Gp-
pealed strongly to the president, but
It was certain he would not attempt 70
decide the moot question or to issue
any order or to suggest that any one
man "stend from under" until he knew
definitely by word of mouth what Gen.
eral Cocktails had to say, rs he already
had learned after the same manner
what William Denman had to say.
Facts Difficult to Ascertain.
Washington, generally speaking. has
been inclined to take sides In this ship
building controversy IN accordance
one man or the other man VINO are
fi,e chief parties thereto. The trouble
IN arriving Mt decision conccrn'nT
the merits Of the case has been that
few Of the officials and few Of the
prominent nonofficIals know very
much about the factors in the prob
lens. No one has been able to find
out definitely, apparently, just exactly
how long II is going to take to build
the ships. and how much more quickly
the wooden ships can be made ready
for service.
It was said at the outset Of the row
that the construction Of wooden ships
could not be begun until the timber
for their building had been seasoned
by time" Now comes the statement
that the timber does not have to be
seasoned by time. and that If any sea-
soning Is necessary, 1t can be done by
kiln-drying process, which takes only
few hours or days Mt the most.
Argument Of Wooden Ship Men.
There has been insistence by the
partisans Of the wooden ship plan that
1t makes little or no difference wheth-
er the vessels will last long time or
not, and II Is urged that General
Goethals In making the short life OF
controversy has weakened his case.
The argument Of the wooden ship men
Is that II vessels can be built and
made staunch enough to last for 10
years, the fact should be an all-suffi-
Client factor in tie solution Of the prob
lem.
II Is urged also that II makes little
difference, considering the critical con-
ditions Of commerce, whether the steel
ship will last longer than a wooden
ship or not, because the main point is
TO get something that will carry car.
goes during the continuance Of the
war and to get something ready In
short order. It Is held by the wooden
ship men that II is better for the gov
eminent to lose little money eventual
ly ON Its ships than to lose the war.
So far as the matter Of the price OF
the steel Is concerned, 1t would seem
that General GOethals has been I'm
properly blamed for his S95-a-ton pro-
nouncement. He fixed that, so 1t Is
said, merely as maximum price. In
truth, he has no authority to fix prices
Mt all, and did not do so, and 1t Is I'M
derstood that under existing regula-
lions the government will be allowed
= TO determine the price matter In Its
y own behalf when 1t Is discovered Just
what the profits or the lack Of profits
are to be.
When Mr.. Daniels made his contract
for steel for the battleships, low
price was fixed, but It was understood
that 1t was for the occasion only and
was not to stand as precedent. I'm
questionably Mr.. Denman scored q
point when he contrHsted the S56 price
with the 500 price. A full understand
Ing of the matter, General Cocktails
friends say, will prove that he was
yielding nothing to the steel makers
and that despite his mention OF the
high price he knew that the govern
ment would be safeguarded against
anything that looked like extortion.