The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-07-14
COCKTAILS SHIP
PLANS OUTLINED
viii Build Steel Plants and
Commander Nessels-l48
Wooden Ships.

WASHINGTON, July 10. - Taking ad-
vantage OF the authority given him by
the President in the execution Of the
Governments shipbuildlng programme
Mator-Gen. Goethals outlined in a letter
to-day to Chairman Denman of the
Shipping Board the details of his plan
TO acquire by construction or requsition
of ships on the stocks within the next
eighteen months or two years a tonnage
which would exceed 100000 II no more
ships were built than those for which
negotiations are in progress or for which
contracts have been made or agreed on.
1t was learned to-day from the high
est authority that Gen. Goethals will be
protected from embarrassment from any
source or hindrance in carrying out his
gigantic programme. There is reason TO
believe President Wilson Is heartily
tired OF the controversies and petty dis
putes which have taken precedence in
Importance over the building Of ships
and that he will not countenance any
thing more Of the sort.
Work to start Monday.
Monday was Set for the Inauguration
Of the programme. 1t has been In prog
less for months, but under the handicap
of dissens!ons. Now the way Is clear
apparently to rush II through.
That Gen. Goethals has been won over
to the wooden ship programme as a
supplement to steel construction is evil
dent in the outline of his programme, in
which the wooden ships contracted for
to-day figure much more prominently
than the steel
The General announced he had con-
tracted for or agreed on 34S wooden
ships, with capacity of 1,21S,OO0
tons, at a completed cost OF S174, ,OOO.-
600. Negotiations are I'm progress for
100 more wooden Ships, which will
bring the wooden tonnage to about
i,56SOOO.
Seventy-seven steel ships. with ton
mage OF 6i2.sOO, have been contracted
for or agreed upon at an approximate
cost Of $l01 .GOG,35G. Gen. Goethals also
said he would commander 1900. 900
tons OF ships now on the stocks. most OF
which are under construction by Great
Britain.
The cost OF the wooden ships will be
N+3 ton and the steel ships Sl5s.
In addition he Intends to have con-
struCted at once for the Government two
lllHltllSt BihIlNk lot the fabrication OF
steel for the standard steel ships which
have been adopted as a type. These he
estimated would turn out 400 ships Of
an aggregate tonnage of $500. 900 within
the next year and n half or two years.
bringing the tonnage In prospect def
initely w to 6,2l0.000.
The HOugh design Of wooden ships
which had been advocated as A type OF
ship possible to build in fast time, has
been rejected and Goethals will Conflne
himself to the wooden ship designed by
Theodore Ferris. the expert retained by
the emergency fleet corporation.
Cost Plus Fee and Bonuses.
The contract for building the two
plants will he let, the General said. on
the basis Of cost plus a fee of about 6
per cent, with bonuses for speedy com
pletion and for savings on cost Con-
tracts for the ships TO he built In them
will be let on the same basis.
There will be no delay in the COM
Wandering of ships now under con-
struction by Great Britain. other for
eign countries and private concerns.
The General in his letter TO Chairman
Denman makes it clear that he, Gen
Goethals, has supreme power in the execu-
tion Of the construction programme. He
announced IT az his personal programme
which he proposed TO put into effect
Monday. The tenor indicated that the
programme would be carried out without
reference 10 the opinion OF Chairman
Denman or the Shipping Board. Chair
man Denman, however, said there would
be a meeting Of the board of directors OF
the fleet corporation of which he is chair.
man to consider the proposals" oi
GoethRls
II do not believe. however" he added
that there will be any differences OF
, opinion regarding the Generals policy
outlined in his letter to-day. OF cours,
We are glad that the General has beer
able to secure timber for the large mum
| ber of wooden ships contracted for"
Gen. Cocktails announcement and Mr.
! Denman's comment We're regarded by
! the Generals friends as indicating
final settlement in his favor of the Ions
| drawn out controversy between the two