Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-28
G0ETHALS'S SPEECH
BRINGS REPRIMAND

BRINGS REPRIMAND
Continued from First Pase)
1000 S,OO0-ton wooden Ships was hope
less"
Instead OF an enormous feet OF
wooden or purely experimental craft
capable at best OF only few voy-
ages. General Goethals has told mem
bers Of the Senate that he would con-
struct great fleet OF steel liners and
frcighters designed 10 resist torpedocs
10 greater degree than any vessels
now ahoat
Specifically. the Goc,hals plan pro-
vides for perhaps thousand ten to
fifteen Thousand ton steel ships with no
less than five water-tight compart-
ments each. which will keep vessel
aAoat though one or perhaps two may
nave been ripped open by torpedo or
mine.
These ships are TO be about 500 feet
in. length, and will be able TO develop
sufficient speed TO run away from a
submarine without sacriticinE a dis
proportionatc space to engine and
boiler room. Also il is proposed to
build them for about SEQ ton. as
against slo3 a ton or more for the
5,oo0-,on ship and about sl35 ton
for the wooden ship.
COMPARATIVELY SMALL CREW
TO OPERATE THESE SHIPS
Moreover. II is intended to build these
vessels SO that they can be operated
with crew not much. IL any, larger
than the crew Of craft sma Her in size
This is a tremendously important fac
tor, as explained by the general. when
il is rem cmbered that there is q scar
city of merchant seamen even now In
the United States and that one Of The
great problems of the present situation
is the training of 100 600 or more men
to man the merchant Meet authorized
in the $3.50. 100000 ship appropriation.
| The watcr-tiEht compartment f-a-
ture of the Goethsls ship is proposc ed
as a measure of safety. 1t is the opin-
| ion OF the marine engineers and archi-
| tects engaged by tho general to draw
his plans that though such ship he
| struck by one torpedo. IL might still
limp into port. y vessel of this de
,
IL her engines were left undamaged
| In addition TO the notilla of steel
ships. General Cocktails has told mem
hers of the senate that he is willing
to approve the construction of linz
tied number of wooden ships. say $50
To 200 in all. This is very consider
ably fewer craft OF this type than has
hcen advocated by Chairman Denman
OF the shipping Hoayd. who thought 1T
least 1000 OF these frail cargo carriers
might he invested in.
only the necessity OF getting ton.
mage quickly. i, is said Influenced Cen
cral GoethalS To accept any wooden
ship program. y small fleet OF wooden
vessels might be used. lie thinks. until
the government can begin turning out
steel tonnage. lie has said that his
investigation proves to him that steel
vessels. through the Fabrication" pro-
cess. can he built with much greater
rapidity than the Shipping BOARD
originally believed possible.
LEGIsLATIoN RECOMMENDED
ny SHIPPING BOARD
ON its part. the Shipping Boa I'd
recommends TO Congress two importan,
pieces OF legislation designed TO NEE,
the present emergency. They are:
First. Authority in the Shipping
Board TO regulate overseas frcigh,
rates. Unless this is given MIR Dem
man IS reported 10 have sail that the
government Will he GougcG in its ef.
fort 10 take over ships already afioat
The power 10 commander ships has
already been given the government. blu,
TINS - not enough. since enormou:
prices VIII bc demanded by ship owner.
as long rs ocean rates are at theil
present level.
Second. The shipping Board ur6e
the repeal or suspension Of the presen
navigation laws. particularly the La
toilette act. which. makes il Difficult
!" operate American ships. That sec
non OF the present law which make
the coas;wise shipping OF the C.:ite,
states exclusively domestic might b.
suspended Such suspension woul,
permit Danish ships for instance
whose owners, through fear OF Ger
, many and through fear of the risk
involved do not allow them TO entc
> the submarine zone. 10 engage in tn
q coast"ise trade OF this country.