New-York tribune., 1917-06-23
Wilson Expected to Limit
Power to Seize
Ships
Denman Issue Soon
To Be Fought Out
Middle Shows Difficulty of
Using Vast Authority
Given to Executive
By c. w. Gilbert

Washington, June 22.-General
Coethals went TO the President this
afternoon to ask for authority to COM
mardeer certain ships now building in
this country and to complete their
construction for the United States gov
eminent. He first asked for this au-
thority more than week ago. His
original request didn't bring it. and
his renewed request, made in person,
IL understood TO have failed equally.
II is believed here that a certain
limited grant of power, sufficient to
meet the existing emergency, will be
made by the President to the general,
while the main issue of who will spend
the quarters of billion and ex-
ercise the vast functions that the up
preparation act creates will pe left to
be decided later. 1t is difficult to see
how the President can do anything less
than grant to the general about what
he asks for now, since to bestow the
authority required on Mr.. Denman
would probably lead to General
Goethalss resignation, and undoubted-
ly, in view of the promise made to the
Senate in the Presidents name, would
start Congressional investigation into
the shipping muddle.
Denmans Indecision
Within a day or two it seems likely
that a definite fight will be made upon
General Goethals before the President.
1t would be possible to say this with a
great deal more positiveness If 1t were
not for the indecision Of Mr.. Denman,
who one moment is planning TO fight
and the next moment is in doubt. Mr..
Derman's courage has been steadily
coming back to him in the last few
days.
When General Goethals rejected the
wooden ship plan, which was the sole
stock in trade of the Denman board
Mr.. Denman acted at first as If he were
the original steel ship man-in fact, he
told the Senate committee that steel
ships were "his baby"
But since General Goethals made the
mistake of agreeing tentatively to the
price of s95 for steel, and since 1T has
become apparent that however etec'
tiyely the general has speeded up ex'
isting steel ship construction, the big
fabricated steel plan does not offer
as it has been developed by the gen
eral. much promise of prompt large
supply of shipping. Mr.. Denman has
begun to speak with considerable aifec-
tion of wooden ships. You might al
most suppose that instead of steel
being his "baby," wood was his baby
Changes of Mind Frequent
This has gone on TO the point where
q vast amount of evidence of General
Goethals refusal to permit contractors
of high standing and of unquestioned
financial responsibility to build wooden
ships has been collected and prepared
for presentation. The tales told by
these contractors of uncertainty OF
temper and indecision are remarkable
They are said to have been invited by
General Goethals to come to his Office
to sign contracts for wooden ships. and
when they came were Immediately or
dered out without explanation.
Changes of mind are described as OF
daily occurrence in these tales, which
of course, present only one side OF the
case. And in addition to this evidence
with regard TO the generals attitude on
wooden ships there is. of course, the
delay over the fabricated steel pro-
gramme, due to lack of ship design
All Of this matter is likely to find Its