TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1917-08-01

the country that the conflict in
the Shipping Board between
General. Cocktails and Chair
man Denman over the question
Of wooden ships has become so
acute. Ii raises an issue which
| Congress or the President must
definitely settle, and it gives
the patriotic sentiment OF the
country an opportunity to exert
the power of public opinion.
Only common sense is neces-
sary to settle the question wise
ly.
To build new ships worth six
hundred million dollars in the
shortest possible time requires
FIVE things-money, knowledge
of shipbuilding, engineering
skill, general executive ability,
talent for organizing workmen.
Congress and the people have
provided the first requisite,
General Cocktails has three
Of the other four requisites.
Chairman Denman, whom
President Wilson put at the
head of the Shipping Board, is
a lawyer who, so far as the
public knows, has never shown
any one of the four requisites
for this position of supreme re-
sponsibility.
All the weight of expert test.
mony is against wooden ships.
They cannot be made large
enough to compete with steel
ships. If driven by engines
powerful enough to make them
effective in the submarine zone,
they would soon rack them
selves to pieces. In aay event,
they would be obsolete after the
war.
It is mainly to relieve the ne
cessities Of our allies, England
and France, for food and NUM-
tions that those ships are need
ed.
England is the most compet-
ent and experienced nation in
shipbuilding. 1t is her needs
that the wooden ships ares in
tended to supply. She is, there
fore, the best possible authority
to consult and to be guided by
in this emergency. The extent
of the submarine peril to her is
known to her better than to us.
II the situation is so desperate
that wooden ships that will be
useless after the war are neces-
sary in addition to all the steel
ships that can be built, then
England should ask us to build
wooden ships at her expense.
She is at present building on
ly steel ships, and very big steel
ships, as well as many new war.
ships, for herself. She may lack
the lumber to build wooden
ships. But if she desires them
built, they should be her proper.
ty after the war. No shipyard
in this country capable Of turn
ing out great steel cargo ships
destroyers, submarines, or other
naval vessels should be diverted
to building wooden ships. Il
new shipyards must be made tc
build wooden ships out Of trees
in which the birds are still nest.
ing, then let it be done as quick
ly and as economically as pos.
sible, provided that England
orders the wooden steamships
and continues to own them I'm.
Ill the Unsuitable NAV Of the
German submarine gets them Of
they are turned into junk wher
the wal is over.
The list of experts who have
condemned the policy of wooden
ships and sustained emphatical
ly the policy Of steel ships !:
convincing.
One of the foremost author.
tiles on shipbuilding in ths
world is Alexander Carlisle, who
has builded in many navy anc
ship yards of many countries
and who distinctly declares thai
wooden ship building is an.
ought to be for us a lost art.
Maori General George Goe.
thals, of the Panama Canal
whose indicated experience anC
common sense are now stand
ard in all countries, has declar
ed that his conscience as ar
American citizen will not per
NIT him to build these wooder
ships at this critical period 0.
our country's history.
Bernard N. Baker, dean 0.
Americas maritime authorities
resigned his position upon tht
shipping board because hi