The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-07-25

ed and self-forgetting course that General Goethals has taken. When you have done as he has done, I am sure that you may count with the utmost confidence upon the ultimate verdict of the people of the country with regard to your magnani- nous and unselfish view of public duty and upon winning in the retrospect the same admiration and confidence that I have learned to feel for you
 With much regard and very great appr eciation of the large services you have rendered, cordially and sincerely yours. WOODROW WILSON"
 REPLY TO GOETHALS
 President Wilson's letter to General Goethals follows:
 Your letter of July 20 does you great honor Cths was the generals letter of spirit of public duty, such as I have learned to expect of you, This is, as you say, case where the service of the public is the only thing to be considered Personal feelings and personal prefer erces must be resolutely set aside, and we must do the thing that is most serv- iceable. It is with that thought in mind that I feel constrained to say that 1 think that you have interpreted your duty rightly.
 No impartial determination of the
 
 building programme promptly and er Actively on it's way to completion and success. It is best that we take the sef-forgetting course you suggest, and begin again with fresh sheet of paper, begin not the shipbuilding but the fur ther administration of the progra mme The shipbuilding Is happily in large part begun and can now readily be pushed to completion if the air be cleared of the de- bates that have unfortunately dark ened 1t.
 With deep appreciation, therefore, of your generous attitude, and with genuine admiration of what you have been able in short time to accomplish, I accept your resignation, and feel that In doing so am acting upon your best judgment as well as my own I hope that you will feel the same undoubting confidence that l feel that the people of the coun- try for whom you have rendered great service, will judge you justly and gener- olsly in this, as in other things, and that all personal misunderstanding and misjudgmetns that have been created will pass in a short time entirely away"
 ATTITUDE OF GOETHALS General Goethals' letter of July 20 to the President follows:
 T beg to acknowledge your letter of July 19 and wish to express my appre- citation of the considerate manner in which you have stated the conclusions which you have reached.
 Tn the project for the rapid emer- gency construction of small ships, dated March 20, 1917, and approved by you on April last, 1t was stated that: To se- l cure the speed of production, which is all important, We feel that the task of securing and equpping these ships should I be put in the hands of one man. Gen. i tralized control is essential for rapid I and efficient work
 | It was on this understanding on my part that l undertook the work at your 1 request. This understanding was subse- l quently confirmed, not only when I took l up the matter with the shipping board, | but at the hearings before the subcom- 1 mittee of the committee on appropria- I tions of the United States Senate, where | 1t was stated that I was to have ab- | solute and complete authority for the administration on the construction side; | that everything the board could do would l be done, and that it would act on my I suggestion and initiative.
 These assurances were placed much more clearly before the members of the l subcommittee on appropriations of the | House.
 RESULTS NEEDED 1 The necessity for shipping makes it 1 imperative that results be secured as rapidly as possible It Is results, by | whomsoever obtained, which count after 1 all, and nothing should be allowed to in- | terfere with the accomplishment of this | end. have endeavored to establish har- monious relations with the shipping l board, but regret to state that I have