New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-16
5 Senator Ph.lan ended the Dsnmsn

Lodge. ito bring up discussion OF TINS
character. Il reflects on the action oil
the President Of the United states.
The President accepted the resi- .ation
Of General Goethals. He requested and
then accepted the resignation or Mr..
Denman. He was fortunate III having
the resignation of Captain Whlte. ne
then remodelled the Shipping BOARD.
He put in the place of NJ; Denman
Mr.. Hurley, thoroughly loyal, entirely
in sympathy with everything that Is
being done. In place OF General zoe
thals he put Admiral Caps. one oil inc
ablest and best men in the service
The board now commands the conn
dence of the country, and the President
deserves the highest commentator Tor
his action.
aupropriation bill so that IL no longer
specifically granted authority to Cen
eral Goethals, predicted that the plan
WAS 10 drive General Goethals from
Office. Mr.. Denmsn did not calculate,
however, that when General Goethals
left he would take penman with nm;
81 never heard Of Mr.. Denman until
ne was appointed TO the Shipping board
J don't believe any one outside or san
Francisco had ever heard Of him.. MI
Denman was made chairman OF the
board. That resulted in the retirement
of Bernard n. Baker,, a man OF great
experience and one whose competency
and knowledge no one could touch. lie
was set aside so that Mr.. Denman could
have his place.
"Now, the facts are that Denman
seems 20 have quarrelled with pretty
nearly every one. Mr.. Donald, the only
experienced man OF the board, and MI
stevens, the former Representative
from New Hampshire, and an undoubt-
edly energetic and able man, both op--
posed Denman. He controlled the board
only by his own vote, with two support
er whom the President had labelled
Republicans, though they We're never
heard of in the Republican party.
"Denman had difficulties with the
Advisory Commission of the Council OF
National Defence The impression he
made on the committees Of the House
and Senate was not soothing nor pleas
ant.
"Now, when a man quarrels with one
person he NAV be right, but when he
Quarrels with everybody the presump-
ton is against him. | am not con-
cerned with the controversy as to the
merits of steel versus wooden ships, but
/ don't see why we should build ships
both slow and perishable, as are wood
en- ships. If he had only given us ships,
however, | would have been content
Only Yesterday the Senator from Nlr-
ginia mentioned two yards in one OF
which three ships were building and
in the other one. These ships were al
lowed to be completed and pass under
a foreign flag.
Navy Acted Quickly
Take the case of the German ships.
Two of the naval vessels were put
under the Navy Department. They were
quickly repaired and carried some OF
the first troops to France. Some 9TH
ers were loaned to our allies In this
great struggle. They were repaired and
are doing service. The remainder were
turned over to the Shipping Board.
Time went or and on, and nothing was
done. There was no question of General
Goethals there. He had nothing to do
with that. But there were some oOO,OUO
tons of shipping involved, and that is
large amount in this serious time.
Finally, the Secretary of War, who was
responsible for the transportation or
troops, had them transferred to the
navy, and they now will be at work in
a very short time.
"The President has done no better
thing for the cause that we all have at
heart than recognizing the Shipping
Board, and it must have been dis
agreeable thing for him to do. The
country wanted ships and was treated
TO a quarrel between Denman and
Goethals. We wanted ships, and we
had long statements that Denman was
saving money. Three golden months
have gone. They are irrecoverab.e.
That is why the President changed the
board. Yet it is brought in here that
the President ought to have kept that
board and to have kept Mr.. Denman,
with his long wake of quarrels."
Senator Smoot discussed at length
the steel price phase of the controversy,
pointing out that the price of $50 a ton
mentioned in the Goethals contract was
only tentative one, and that the actual
price was TO be determined later by
negotiation. He pointed out that this
was the way to get construction started
quickly. He said he had received many
letters charging that contracts were
being let not for the best interests of
the United States, but for considera-
tons political and otherwise. He had
investigated one case. he said, where
overnight a broken down politician with
no financial resources had developed
into a great shipbuilder, with govern
ment contracts amounting 10 millions
Of dollars, including a clause providing
10 per cent of cost for profit. This man,
Mr.. Smoot said, had never been in bust
ness in his life.