Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-24
COCKTAILS AND SHIPS OR
DENMAN AND NONE?

NoNFUsIoN as to the extent Of sub
marine ravages arises from two pri-
mary causes: first, because some esti-
mates include the weight in tons of both
cargo and ship. while others include only
the ship tonnage; secondly. because the
censors. with their usual stupidity. have
insisted on tampering with the returns.
Whether the monthly losses are 100000
or 100000 tons, or less. the fact remains
that the submarine is the only service
arm in which Germany now excels, that
her hopes of ultimate success depend
wholly and solely on the submarine, and
that, with the elimination of that menace,
her final defeat becomes purely question
Of time.
The public is not informed of the many
and feasible devices which American and
foreign inventors have proposed to defeat
the submarine. They may or may not be
successful. Recent experience, however
indicates clearly that transports can sail
with comparative safety under convoy.
The methods which have rendered the
English Channel virtually safe may be
extended. at frightful expense, to render
Ill seas safe. But whether these expert.
nients succeed or fail, the one big, out.
standing fact is that the tonnage of the
world has been materially reduced, that II
is not sufficient now to meet the exi.
gencies Of war, that it would not be suf.
Acient to carry on ordinary business in
! time Of peace.
The President a few months ago sum.
moned General Goethals, told him the con.
ditions of affairs and asked: Can you
take control Of the situation and give
us the ships we need?' The man who
had built the Panama Canal was not to
be stumped by this task. He averred that
he could. He ventured the opinion also
that 1t would not have to be a makeshift
deet, to be discarded after the war and left
TO rot. He would build ships of wood
where such construction was possible, but
for the great mass of tonnage he would
depend on standardized steel vessels. lie
eonsulted with makers OF steel and build.
srs Of ships. The former agreed TO fur
nish all the material he needed; the latter
were ready to join with him in the imme-
diate construction Of huge shipyards. A
site for one of them was found on the
Delaware. Immediately adjacent to the
navy yard and the great Westinghouse
engine plant
With half a hundred wooden vessels
provided for and every detail arranged
for truly miraculous construction of
steel ships, General Goethals announced
that the time for action had come, that
he was ready to award contracts and
that everything within a few days would
be humming in typical American fashion.
The General, however, had reckoned
without one Denman, a lawyer, who in
times of piping peace had been appointed
70 operate. not to build. Government ships
The lawyer did not like the vigorous
methods Of the General. Why. the latter
was going ahead as II the main purpose
was to get ships instead Of political capi.
tai! He was dlsregarding red tape. He
was paying no attention to Denman's
friends and mighty little to Qenman him.
self So up jumps the lawyer and bids the
builder nay.
General Goethals has written the Presi
Cent to say that he will get out of the way
4 necessary to straighten matters out. He
must not be permitted to get out of the
way, for his way is the American way
and his methods are the methods tha,
VIII defeat the submarine and uproot
/ Junkerism. The whole country. there
!. GDrs, expects the President to put the
oovernment squarely behind General
0oethals. to bid him go ahead. to take the
Z nowsr Of obstruction out of Denman',
4 |onds and give the signal for action.
with Goethals we shall get ships; with
. 1nuan We would get delay and excuses