Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-20
UnseemIy Squabbling Must End

D RESIDENT WILSON should make end
Of the current disagreement between
Chairman Denman, Of the Shipping Board.
and General Cocktails, general manager Of
tile Emergency Fleet Corporation. If Mr..
Denman a at fault he should be dismissed;
if General Goethals is in the wrong, the dis
tinguished services he has rendered this gov
ernme mt must not be allowed to confer i'm
munity on him. 1t is intolerable that their
inability TO agree should be allowed to inter-
fere with the progress of work vital to
the successful prosecution of the war.
General Goethals, it must not be forgotten,
is Mr.. Denman's subordinate and the SUBJ
ordinate OF the Shipping Board. The un-
concealed reluctance with which he has sub
mitted to any direction whatever or to any
division Of authority, has not made favor
able impression on this people 1t is a COM
monpace that men who have welded large
and undisputed powers in tropical countries
are likely to become autocratic in manner
and thought. The country has been inclin-
ing to the belief that General Goethals is
suffering from this complaint.
Certainly he does not show up we'll in the
most recent controversy. He had authorized
the purchase of steel for ship construction
at S95 ton and Mr. Denman had refused
to approve these contracts. An arrangement
now has been made with steel companies by
which the board will obtain steel for the
emergency fleet at tentative price Of SIS
ton, to stand until final figure is set
by the President or by some agency he may
designate The nation now has the power
to commander the supplies it requires. and
as the companies admit they are producing
steel plates at a cost of $45. they're un-
likely to suffer any great loss because OF the
$50 price General Cocktails should have
forced this concession without waiting for
MIR. Denman to act. That the navy has been
obtaining its steel at s65 ton made the
l,tx- &C C@r
Probably there are at least two sides to
this question, and there may be more. Much
can be said also In support OF the refusal
OF General Goethals to sanction extensive
wooden ship construction on a large scale
He may have been right about that and he
may be right about the proper price to pay
for steel but the burden Of proof is on him
The country is not so fond Of the United
States Steel Corporation that it is willing
to sit idly by and witch that corporation and
its friendly rivals collect profits of more
than 100 per cent for the steel needed to save
the life of the world. When Mr. Denman
puts his foot down on this effort TO gouge
tho government. the people are with HIM
1t is abomnable that far more extravagant
prices are being exacted from private pur-
chasers but they at least have the option
to cease purchasing. The government really
has no option 1t must provide the ships to
meet the emergency OF the nation and the
world. 1t cannot hesitate or delay For
tunately for it. therefore. and for the people
who must pay its bills. the government has
been provided by Congress with means of
self-protection.
1t has means of elf-protection also against
such unseemly squabbles as now involve the
two principal officers of the Emergency Fleet
Corporation. These differences interrupt,
and seriously interrupt, the nations business.
They cast discredit on the nations good faith.
They weaken public confidence. They must
be ended. and to end them means that either
Mr.. Denman OF General Goethals must 60