The Washington times., 1917-05-27
A Great Ship Surprise

A Great Ship Surprise
Blank astonishment is the prevail
ing sensation today, caused by the
latest development in the shipping
situation. Here were all the people
hugging the idea that, however back
ward other war measures might be,
at least the forced draft construc-
ton of ships to meet the U-boat
peril was going along merrily. Scores
Of vessels in process of building, some
of them well advanced toward readi-
ness; hundreds of other ships, stand
ardized as to their parts and de-
signed on a rapid assemblage sys-
tem-these were the igments of the
popular dream. There were wooden
ships and steel ships, big ships and
little ships, but above all swift ships
of 5000 tons or thereabouts, swarms
of them; twelve hundred at least to
be plying the ocean within a year.
Now comes George w. Goethals,
major general in the United States
army and special eficiencer in charge
of turning out the anti-U-boat ar
COSY. And these are some of the
things ne says on the forty-ninth day
after the declaration Of war:
Everybody who helps build ships
will help win the war.
1 have been confronted with
the proposition to turn out a thousand
3,0OO-ton wooden ships in eighteen
months.
The birds are nesting in the trees
that will go TO build these ships.
The proposition is simply hopeless
-
I asked permission to turn to steel
instead of wood. finally got permis-
sion
Fifty million dollars were appropri-
ated for these ships from the sale of
Panama bonds.
But no effort has yet been made to
sell these bonds.
Money is as necessary as anything
else. I wanted money and I wanted
authority.
This IS now being discussed in the
NOhAihANNCc vi
and have been promised the money
in ten days or two weeks
He who reads may form his own
conclusions or give way to total be-
wilderment. Side by side with the
report of General Goethal's speech
to the Iron and Steel Institute, in
which the sentences quoted were ut
tered, is the announcement Of the de-
cision Of the United States Shipping
Board to abandon the cost-plus-fee
system of contracting for ships. 1t
will return to competitive bidding on
a lump sum basis. This, it is said,
imperils the entire Government build
ing program or at best will enor-
mously increase its cost.
The builders are naturally averse
from taking the risk of lump sum
bidding on a rising market for labor
and material. If they take such a
risk. naturally they will put in a good
margin for safety and to compensate
them for their hazard. Perhaps the
Shipping Board is right. instability
of plans, uncertainty of methods,
shifting of liability and responsible
ity may be just exactly the right
processes by which to carry on a war
against highly organized and reso-
lutte. foe. The point may be left to
the Judgment of the business COM
munity.
Anyway, the astonishment which
the news creates is, we think, un-
questionable. There was an idea that
this matter of ships had progressed
from the stage of inquiry and discus
sion to that of decision and activity.
Chairman Denman's recently pub
lished expressions were so interpre-
ted. The discovery that the plan
most dwelt upon to date is simply
hopeless" the revelation that no
money has yet been provided and
will not be for ten days or two weeks,
and that even the method of con-
tracing for the new vessels is under
revision-assuredly these conditions
give the American people something
to think about today. They seem to
throw a food of light upon the pro-
posed censorship. Do they not also
illurine the sundry and divers die
tstorships which have been demand
ed Of Congress?