The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-12-19
SENATE VOTES
TO PROBE j. s.
SHIPPING BOARD
Commerce Committee Will
Seek Cause Of Squabbles
and Delays.
ACTION IS NON-PARTISAN
Daniels. Resentful, Refuses
Admiral Harris His Old Post
as Bureau Head.
ACTION IS NON-PART1SAN
.specioi Dcspateh To TIE SrN.

Sptctot UcsDdISH 10 ihh oh"'
WAsHINGroN. Dec. 1s.--Affa!rs Of the
United States shipping Board have
reached still another crisis.
The resignation OF Admiral Frederic
II. Harris. appointed only two weeks
ago, as gene raj manager of the Erner-
gency Fleet Corporation brought official
Washington face to face to-day with
the fact that this important branch OF
the war board !s apparently as much
in need as ever OF policy that will
friction and bring results
The long series of designations has
brought conviction to many that some
basic fault, possibly in the law itself. ia
at the bottom OF the boards m!sfortunes.
To-day this crystallized in n decision
by the Senate TO conduct an irvest'sa-
tion OF the boards affairs.
Day. Developments.
Tc-day's developments were.
Passage OF resolution proposed
by Senator Harding OF Ohio under
which the Senate Committee OF Com
merce vii! at once start Il searching
investigation OF the entire shipping
situation. summonng Chairman iur-
ley and other participants in the long
series OF squabbles.
Appointment OF Charles A. Piez OF
Chicago as general manager o: the
Emergency Fleet Corporation 10 sue
coed Rear Admiral Harris.
Refusal Of Secretary Daniels to re-
appoint Admiral Harris TO his old post
of chief o. the bureau of yards and
docks. and the naming in his stead
Charles Weilman Parks. a civil en-
gineer. now in Hawaii. Admiral
Harris had been detailed TO the Ship
rirg Board ana evidently expected to
get his old job back.
BY this action Secretary Daniels
showed plainly ne did not relish tho
refusal OF Admiral Harris to continue
to fuifl the duties to which he had
been assigned.
Chairman IIutlcy issued statement
In which he defended the board and
himself. asserting that under the re-
organization its affairs hereafter would
lie modelled along the lines OF private
corporations
Non-Pnrtisan spirit shown.
TIL" Senate by q unanimous vote
turned its attention TO the Shipping
Board A spirit of non-partisan interest
plainl: marked the action Although the
initiation OF the movement came from
Senator Harding. a Republican. his sug-
gestion met with the warmest sort OF @
second from the Denocratic side.
81 have suggestion In my mind
which ! cannot forhear making 70 tho
Senate. and | wish particularly to ad
dress the chairman of the Committee on
Commerce said Senator Harding. IF
! were not member of the minority
and thereby subject to the possible sus-
picion that some partisan motive might
be involved ] would put my suggestion
n the form OF n resolution"
The attention os the Senate was in
Simultaneously aroused. Hero was the
crisis which eight months of unremi.-
ting sQuabbling between shipping Board
officials and the Emergency Fleet Cor
poration finally had precipitated. Sena.
tor harding continued:
II do not believe that this Congress
ought to take It's holiday recess withou.
making a provision for investigation
into the affairs OF the United States
Shipping Board. | am not yielding "a
the Currer, tendency to enter into in.
vestigatiors Of all sorts. but am deeply
impressed by the failure OF the Shipping
Board In this great emergency OF tho
nation"
Then he reviewed the series Of clashes
and contentious involving William Den
man, former chairman o: the Shipping
Board, and Maior-Gen. Goethals, former
manager of tho Emergency Fleet Corpo
ration, and the retirement OF Rear Ad.
miral Harris, "It the newspaper report,
are correct our shipping programme fol
the merchant marine is in very DIS
couraging position Re added.
Cites Destroyer Programme.
"The Senator will recall likewise tha'
Rear Admiral George Washington Capp.
has come and gone" interrupted Senator
Gallinger.
There have been so many changes,
Senator Harding went on, that II Is no
within my ordinary memory 70 recall
them all. I talked very recently to
great captain Of industry who has unde
way a line OF construction for the navy
and he made the startling statement tina
his plant was constructing for the Cn!tes
States Navy moro dcstroyers than Their
are In the world to-day.
IF that be true. certainly capabl
and efficient shipping board could brinl
to the service OF the nation IN thi
crisis merchant marine sornewher
comparable with our present needs"
With this for his premise. Senate
! Harding then led up to his resolution
which follows.
! Resolved. That the Committee on
! Commerce or any subcommittee there
! of be and hereby Is authorised and di
rected TO proceed at once with an In
vestigation of the programme. prog
ress and all matters connected with
the building Of merchant vessels under
the direction Of the United States
Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Cor
poration and report Its findings to the
Senate at the earliest practicable day.
together with such recommendation
as Il may see nj TO make as to rcme-
dies OF existing difficulties.
Inquiry Service TO Nation.
81 do not care to introduce this resc
tuition Of invest!ra tiou," said Mr.. Har,1
ing, "and be subjected to the intimntlo
that II Is a partisan interference or suG
cestion. But the winning Of the war de-