Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-23
BUILD SHIPS QUICK,
WILSON'S DEMAND
Top Speed Needed to Pre-
vent Success of German
U-Boat War
BOTH WOOD AND STEEL
WASHINGTON. June %.

WASHINGTON, June %.
Every available ocean-going carrying ves-
sci, wood, steel or any other construction,
must be built at top speed at once unless
the German submarine menace is to imperil
the success of the present war.
Convincing evidence showing this fact
now Is in possession of President Wilson,
II was learned this afternoon. He will
settle the controversy between Chairman
William Denman, of the United States
Shipping Commission, aud General George
W. Goethals, general manager of the
emergency feet corporation, within the next
few days And in settling It, officials who
are close TO the Presideny openly declare, he
will take the position that the entire
resources of the nation must be devoted to
turning out vessels Of every kind and that
unless the parties to the controversy are
willing to quit fighting and work in har-
mony they will have to give place TO men
who will.
The information placed before the Presl-
dent, upon which he will base his decision,
is OF the most sensational kind. It shows
the following facts:
If German submarines can maintain
their present rate of destruction accept
ing the average for the last three months
as an average that will hold good for
twelve months, they will destroy a total
Of 100000 tons of shipping in year.
Steel production of the United States
and Great Britain pushed to the limit will
provide only for sufficient material to re-
place 100000 tons of that total
Wood production of the United States
for shpbuildng will provide for not to
exceed 100000 tons of shipping addl-
tonal.
Combined steel and wool construction
can meet only one-half of the total de-
struction of the German submarines dur
ing the first year of the participation OF
the United States in the war. Later on
this production will be ,-aterially in
creased as new plants ar built
With these facts before him, the Presi-
dent is expected to order construction OF
every available type of vessel :; once.
The official denial by the White House
today that the President had settled the
controversy in favor of General Goethals
was considered highly significant. 1t made
it very plain that there was to be no snar
judgment, and that the issues at stake were
TO be thoroughly investigated.
The President is known to think very
highly of the ability of both Genera
| Goethals and Mr.. Denman. He commits
| stoned the latter to deal with Foreign
Minister Arthur j. Balfour when the lattei
| was here, in an effort to get the British
! Government to relinquish contracts for
million tons of shipping which was beinl
| leisurely constructed in American ship
| yards. Previous efforts to get these con
| tracts released through diplomatic methods
| lomatic methods and warned Mr.. Balfou
| that these contracts were clogging American
| shipyards and that they would be of i'm
| mense benefit to Germany inasmuch a
| these contracts called for single shift worl
| and prevented utilizing labor the entir
| twenty-four hours. So convincing was tn
! Denman argument that Mr.. Balfour sur
| rendered al of these contracts to the ship
| ping commission.
| General Goethals, like Mr.. Denman, ais,
has accomplished great things for th
| President, and the latter is exceedingly
| loath, it is understood, to lose the service
| OF either man. He Is expected to try T.
reconcile the general to accepting woode,
| ships as auxiliary for steel, and If he use
ceeds the controversy will end at once
General Goethals however, has taken tn
position that the wooden ships at bes
are a makeshift and has declined to hav
| his district representatives award any con
| tracts for their construction except to firm
and yards which have built ways at thei
own expense. This has aroused bitterness
| in certain quarters and resulted in com
plants being made direct to the Whit
| House,