The Washington herald., 1917-12-23
TRAILOF SHIP
PROBE LEADS
TO COCKTAILS
Delays Over Contracts Are
Traced Back to Old Re-
CINE, Testimony Shows.

The trail Of the senate's shipbuild-
ing Investigators led back to the Den
nan-Goethals regime yesterday. and
no light was thrown on the question
whether America will receive her ships
before 1918 ends. Only one question
was asked on the prospect. and II went
unanswered.
what percentage Of all these ships
will be completed in 1887" asked Sen
ator johnson, of Edward N. Hurley.
chairman of the Shipping Board.
admiral Bowles can tell you that
better than I can. Senator" replied
Hurley. Admiral Bowles took the stand
later in the day, but the question was
not put to him.
Under the lead Of Senator Fletcher.
of Florida, chairman, the Commerce
Committee undertook to ascertain rea-
sons for the delays that have ham,
pered the shipbuilding program to
date. Not only Chairman Hurley, but
General Manager Charles A. Piez, OF
the Emergency Fleet Corporation. Ad-
miral Samuel Bowles, who has charge
of construction work. and John A.
Donald, director of operation for the
Shipping Board, all were questioned
on the delays. The answers OF each
one Of these men referred the COM
mittee back to the days when General
Cocktails and Mr.. Denman had charge
of the shipbuilding program.
Referred Them to Capps.
Delays because Of labor troubles
were not attributed to the first
regime, but delays over contracts,
troubles In specifications. mix-ups In
| materials and other sources Of diff
Guilty were traced back to the days
before Mr.. Hurley's administration
began. One big delay was admitted
by Mr.. Hurley.
rs it not true that there was a de-
lay Of about two months in the exc
cution Of contracts?" Senator John
son asked.
Zone hundred million dollars worth
Of contracts were placed on my desk
the day / arrived" Hurley replied.
They had been o. KID by Gen.
Goethals, but referred them to Ad-
miral Caps"
When asked why he had done So,
Hurley explained that he thought 1t
Lest the new man in charge Of pro
duction should be familiar with all
contracts and responsible for their
proper execution. He said Admiral
Camps went over them all thoroughly,
With the result that many changes
vital to the protection of the govern
ment were made, and several were
held up indefinitely. Several ship
yards could not handle the contracts
they wished to make, Mr.. Hurley de-
clared, and for this reason the con-
tracts were not signed.
Admits Delay.
"was there not a delay from July
to September" asked Senator John
son.
Yes, SIR" Hurley admitted.
No reference was made as to the
effect of the Denman-Goethais dis
pute over wooden and steel ships on
the progress of the building program.
except when Mr.. Donald testified IL
, did. not hinder work. Contracts had
seen let before their argument be-
San. Donald said. and work on these
contracts went right along.
Admiral Bowles revised Hurley's
statement OF Friday, in which Hur-
ley said one ship had been finished
by the Fleet Corporation. Four ships
are now in the water, Admiral Bowles
said, one of them actually ready for
use.
The Emergency Fleet Corporation
i is now working on 1889 vessels. the
admiral stated, their total tonnage
being S.25S.O3S. OF these. $50 are steel
ships, Of a total tonnage of $3.50, 200
| Wooden ship building will be con-
tinued on the Pacific Coast, but on
the Atlantic only those vessels for
, which contracts have been let will
be completed. No further contracts
will be let. it was testified.