The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-06-12
Goethals Plans :
Steel Ships That
Defy Torpedoes

. WASHINGTON, May 26--A ship
which can be torpedoed certainly two
and probably three times and still make
its way to port without great loss of
cargo is the standard ship planned by.
Major General Goethals, general man
ager of the Shipping Corporation. This,
he has told senators, is his solution of
the submarine problem, not the Thou
sand little 3500-ton wooden ships each
of which one torpedo would send to the
bottom. ...." ~. #..GF
Another big advantage Of the ship
planned by the general is that it could
strike mine and still get into port.
The ships would be about $4,000 tons
each, he said, more than 500 feet long,
and constructed with water-tight com
partments. Other details cannot be
given. The idea is that ship Of the
type discussed should develop sufficient
speed to run away from submarine,
without sacrificing a disproportionate
space to engine and boiler room. 1t
could also be built at less cost, or at the
rate Of $3.50 a ton, compared with $153
a ton or more for even the 5000-toB
steel ship and about $135 ton for the
wooden ship. tEt.s,." MEsG
Still another advantage is that such
a ship could be operated by the same
number Of officers as o small ship, which
is important in view of the scarcity of
trained marine officers. tt.,sr
The great advantage of the 15,000-ton
ship, aside from speed and huge carry
ing capacity, is, of course, that, owing
to the compartments, il would take at
least three well placed torpedoes to sink
one of the vessels. The general feels
sure that after the striking of one tor
.pedo, especially if the day were clear,
the ships defensive guns would either
get the submarine if it attempted an
other sight, or else through fear keep
the submarine submerged so that it
could not discharge another torpedo.
Should such vessel strike a mine
the only effect probably would be the
flooding of one of her compartments
and certain slowing down of her
speed. But she would be able to get
into some English port with her cargo
for the most part uninjured, and after
repairs, which could probably be made
very quickly, would again be running
the submarine blockade. .'gr ...s.'.
Wooden ships will be built. The lat
est information is that the number will
range from $50 to 200 altogether, in
stead of the 1000 which the Shipping
Board was talking about before Gen
eral Goethals was engaged. General
GOethals realizes the necessity of get
ting every possible ton of shipping on
the water. Small steel ships also will
be built, mostly of the 1000 to 5000
a. MI a. Int nnnaral (Inafh a II
places his real reliance on the big com
partment ship just described. Steel
ships, he has also told Senators, can
be built not only with more rapidity
than the Shipping Board at first
thought possible, but actually, through
"a standardized fabrication process,
they can be delivered more quickly
than wooden ships. There are many
yards which can make deliveries of
steel ships in as short a time as six
months. r.a...,..,s ...H'' ~. .....a 4s.
/ The speech of General Goethals in
New York last night characterizing the
Shipping Board Is wooden shipbuilding
program as hopeless aroused great
deal of discussion in government circles
today, in view of recent rumors of diff
ferences between General GOethals and
the board. ..., e. ,s.. f..
Members of the board declined to
comment until after General Goethals 3
return to Washington Monday. In the
House Representative Harrison, dis
eussing the shipping, amendment TO the
Urgent Deficiency bill, said that Chair.
man Denman of the board had told him
that both steel and wooden ships would
be built, ..' s..... ......, ,t....... ...ss
The Appropriations Committee today
revised the Senate shipping amend.
ments TO the UrgeRt Deficiency bill and
struck out entirely an amendment au-
thorizing the President to direct the
general manager of the Shipping
Board's emergency fleet corporation TO
exercise powers the bill vests in the
Executive. General Goethals is the cor.
poratiOn 3 general manager. The com
mittee left the powers directly in the
hands of the President to use as he sees
fit,