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

with responsibility for the expenditures
 of the funds, supplied by Congress-
 promptly blocked the generals plans.
 CAME THICK AND FAST
 Difficulties then developed thick and
 fast and another letter went from the
 White House to General Goethals It called the general to account for an- nouncing his programme without first consulting the board, and made clear
 that he was not in supreme charge of the building programme and must not pro ceed without the approval of the shipping board.
 In reply the general wrote a letter
 made public today offering to resign and declaring he had been given to under stand previously by the President. the shipping board and all others concerned
 that he was to have absolute authority
 The Geothals programme, which in cludes communicating all private ship ping under construction and the build ing of two government owned shipyards for putting together fabricated steel ships, undoubtedly will be adopted almost
 as it stands. Chairman Denman already has forced changes which will reduce
 the cost of ships to be fabricated and
 the state department supports his posi- tion that the United States should
 requisition British ships building in American yards
 BRENT IN CHARGE Mir Denmans resignation leaves Vice
 Chairman Brent as temporary chairman and there will be no interruption to the boards work. Until their nominations have been confirmed, MT. Hurley and | Mir. Colby will sit with the board as members without power to vote. Mean i time Rear Admiral Capps will take inn mediate charge of building. He is naval constructor of wide experience and at present is head of the naval compen- sation board which passes on the cost of warshps built by contractors on the | ost-plus-percentage basis. Mir. Hurley 1 is manufacturer of pneumatic machin- | cry and as chairman of the trade com l mission gave most of his time to the es- | tablishment of better relations between
 the government and business. Tonight I he authorized this statement: l '1 apprecia te the importance of the task with which the President has intrusted me. We must build ships, not talk about | them. American labor. the most skillful l and intelligent In the world. can turn out ] the ships in record breaking time, and 1 we are going to buckle down and get | busy.'
 ] ienaton of General Goethals and the re- l quest that MT. Denman resign, the White 1 House made public tonight the President s l letters to both men.
 LETTER TO DENMAN l The Presidents letter to MT. Denman I follows
 | "I hope and believe that I am inter preting your best judgment as well as
 my own when I say that your duty con- l corning the debate and misunderstand- l ings that have arisen in connection with 1 the shipbuilding programme ought to be i settled without regard to our personal preferences or our personal feelings al- l together and with the single purpose of
 doing what will be best to serve the pub l lie interest.
 could eliminate the elements of contro-
 versy that have crept into almost every question connected with the programme, and l am convinced that the only wise course is to begin a-fresh-not upon the programme, for that is already in large l part in process of execution-but upon
 the further execution of it.
 T have found both you and General 1 Goethals ready to serve the public at a 1 personal sacrifice. Realizing that the only manner in which the way can be com 1 pletely cleared for harmonious and effec- | tive action is to carry our shipbuilding plans forward from this point through new agencies. General Goethals has put ] his resignation in my hands and 1 have accepted it in the same spirit in which l it was tendered-not as deciding between l two men whom I respect and admire, 1 but in order to make inviduous decisions 1 unnecessary and let the work be devel- oped without further discussion of what l is past.
 l T am taking the liberty of writing tc itell you this in the confidence that you l will be glad to take the same disinterest-