Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-21
.GOETHALS FAVORS
WOODEN SHIP PLAN
Denman Vigorously Denies Re-
ports of Differences With
Shipping Board.
PROGRAM DUE TO NECESSITY
Organization of Steel Shipbuild-
ing Industry to Standardize
Construction Undertaken.


SHINCiTON, May @O.-Chairman
Dcnman. of the Shipping Eoard. issued
a vigorous denial Tonight OF reports.
widely circulated and repeated on the
floor of the Senate, of differences he
tween members of the board and Ma
jor- General Goethais. manager Of the
Emergency Fleet Corporation. state
ments that the board has abandoned
it's wooden shipbuildinE program AT the
instance of General Gocthals drew from
MIR. Denman the declaration that al
ready contracts have been let for twen-
six wooden ships. and that scores OF
others will be let in the near future.
The Shipping Board said Mr.. Den
man. has never wanted to build wood
cn ships. but has been driven TO it by
necessity. 1t views the expenditure
of government funds for this purpose
with the same regret that it would
have felt towards the expenditure of
$50. oO0,O 900 given to it by Congress at
the time of it's organization for the
building of battleships to carry mcr-
chandse The wooden vessel has an
economic value that is not entirely neg
liEible, but were it not for the war it
is not conceivable that we would have
built one of them.
Before entering into the wooden
shipbuilding project, the board can
vassed the steel shipbuiidinG industry.
and found that IL could get no con
tracts for the building OF steel vessels
i'm any large number for the govern
mcnt account. While we did not know
il a tina. time, we afterwards dscov-
cred that the reason for this was that
the British government had contracted
for nearly all the available space in
American yards
MANAGERIAL POWERS
OF COCKTAILS COMPLETE
General Goethals did not ask il. bu;
we assured him that his managerial
powers should be absolute, and tina.
while he could call upon the board for
any assistance he might neeI. that the
board would not attempt TO interfere
with any OF his policies. We endcavor-
ed TO the bes, of our ability TO carry
out our share of the bargain, and we
know. as every one else knows, that
the general. at this difficult task, has
given the same cheerful energy and
devotion OF genius to the ration that
lie did on the canal.
should the effectiveness Of the sub
marine be happily curbed. il is obvious
that The first curtailment of production
would be applied to the wooden ships
I In this connection, il should be noted
however, that if the world produces all
OF the steel ships that it now can build
or that can be built in the next eigh-
teen months-and. in addition. all the
wooden ships which can be built in
that time, il will not equal one-half
the rate of destruction established by
the German submarine in the month OF
April of this year.
The men at the head of the steel
producing industries realized late in
April that unless the production OF
tonnage was stimulated there was
good chance OF the Germans winniuc
the war. They met together. elected
a leader. entered into communication
with the Shipping Board and promised
10 supply US with very large amount
OF steel for shipbuilding within the pc
riod OF a very few months. increasing
gradually from the present time to Il
ma y imum TO be reached about October
TO ENORMOUSLY INCREASE
OUTPUT OF steel. VESSELS
General Goethals thcreupon began
q plan OF organization Of tho steel
shipbuildmG industry. which. through
Standardization OF construction would
enormously increase the output of
steel vessels. This plan would require
taking over OF all vessels under con-
tract i'll the shipbuildinr yards, whose
date Of completion can be FASTENED by
increased labor and more rapid supply
OF material and equipment.