Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-19
SHIP CONTROVERSY
STILL UNSETTLED
Goethals and Denman in Lengthy
Conference Without Agree
ing on Policy.
PRESIDENT MAY TAKE HAND
Official Washington Out of Patti
ence With Methods of
Both Men.
PRESIDENT MAY TAKE HAND

To-Day, out no dehnite action was taken
toward putting into effect the work
of supplying ships with which to meet
the vital needs of the nation and
our allies.
At the conclusion Of a lengthy con-
ference between General George w.
Goethals. as manager of the Emergen-
cy Fleet Corporation. and Chairman
William Dcnman and the members of
the Shipping Board. it was announced
that no policy had been agreed upon,
and that at the request of General
Goethals the conference would be con-
tinued tomorrow at $3.50 o'clock
Three lines OF development in the
controversy were open tonight:
]. At the meeting tomorrow, Cen
eral Goethals and the Shipping Board
will adjust their differences. and the
shipbuilding program will proceed
2. General Goethals will refuse to
recede from his position Of debating
how the building of ships shall he
done, and how ships on the stocks
shall be Communicated: the conference
will come to a deadlock. and General
Goethals will be requested to resign
by the Shipping Board. or Chairman
Denman will tender his resignation
8. In the event of failure TO arrive
at an understanding at the confer
encc. President Wilson. acting in COM
pliancc with a resolution introduced
in the Senate to-day by Senator Reed
Smoot of Utah. will formally request
a report from the Shipping Board as
to the progress that has been made,
ana when he Is formally notified that
none has been made, will take per-
sonal charge of the controversy. and
II unable to reconcile the views of
General Goethals and Mr. Denman will
require the resignation of one or both
men.
IMMEDIATE ACTION
WILL DE DEMANDED
IL became increasingly evident to-
day that official Washington has lost
patience with the procrastinatinR ME,
thods Of General Goethais and Mr.Den-
man Immediate action will be de-
manded. or else the resignation OF tho
men who are delaying the govern
ment's program VIII be asked. That
the row is now only between General
Goethals and his board of directors
became apparent to-day when II was
learned that both the War and NAVY
Departments are severely criticizinr
the Shipping Board for a number of
delays The Navy Department is Of
the opinion that the. German vessels
taken over in New York should have
been made ready for sea In three
weeks. They will not be ready be-
fore September l.
The reason for this delay was stated
by naval officers to be that the Ship
ping Board had confined all of the re-
pair work on these German vessels TO
har
normally not up to those of other
nearby ports like Philadelphia and
Newport News. and where even nor
NAL facilities are crippled by labor
troubles.
The navy Is reported to feel that the
Shipping Board has no adequate con-
ception of what the urgent needs for
transports Is. The department has the
power to commander ships and crews,
and feels that its prerogatives in this
respect have been interfered with by
the Shipping Board.
SMOOT WANTS REPORT
FROM SHIPPING BOARD
Congress to day showed an inclina-
ton to bring the shipping row to a
climax when Senator Smoot introduced
his resolution asking for a report on
what the Shipping Board had accom-
plished. At the request Of Senator
Chamberlain, chairman of the Military
Affairs Committee, consider alton of the
resolution was put off until the food
bill shall have been disposed of.
The resolution reads:
Resolved, That the President be.
and he hereby is. requested to trans
nit to the Senate such information as
may be in the hands of the Shipping
Board to show what contracts have
been let or are pending for the con-
struction OF ships under the authority
of the board. the names of the con-
tractors, the location and capacitv Of
their yards. the price per ton to be
paid to them, the nature and amount
of any advances to be made to them
from government funds, together with
any other information which will in
dicate the disposition of appropriations
already made for the uses of the Shin
ping Board. or which will assist the
Serate in consideration Of requests
from the said board for further appro-
priations."
Senator Smoot made no comment in
introducing the resolution, but said:
Congress was urged to rush through
the legislation providing for establish
the vital need OF tic nation for shin
p;Eg. There was nc hesitancv on TN.
part OF the Senate in complying with
the request for haste. for 1t was be-
lieved that haste in getting the ship
building program under way was vital
to our safety. That was in Septem-
ber. 19l6-nearly year ago-and as
yet we have not been informed OF
anything accomplished by the board.
We would like to know wnat mas bee,
done with tho vast sums of money in
trusted to the care Of the board. and
see what their plans are for the flu
ture."
his VIEWS ARE SHARED
by OTHER SENATORS
Senator Shoots views were shared
BY other Senators.
IT'S about time we were getting
CONTINUED ON Second Page.)