Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-07-17
DEHHAH HALTS
NEW SHIP PLANS
Sends Goethals Letter,
Which Starts Fresh Clash;
General Suspends
Programme
PRESIDENT COMES
IN FOR CRITICISM

WASHINGTON. July 1.-THE Cow
ernments shipbuilding program came
to dead stop yesterday In spite OF
All the efforts OF President Wilson 20
compose the differences between Ma
jor General Goethals. head OF the
Emergency Fleet Corporation, and
Chairman Denman OF the Shipp ne
Board, the Offices OF tho two officials
resumed the character OF host le
armed camps
General Cocktails, following the re-
celpt OF a letter despatched by Chair
man Denman yesterday, called on
temporarily tho entire shlpbuildng
and Communicating program which
was 10 have started yesterday. At
Cocktails once II was said thar the
suspension Of the big program was
occasioned by direct request by
Chairman Deuman for the postpone
mont SO that tho Shipping Board and
the board Of directors OF The neot
corporation might have the opportun-
ity 10 discuss Its details before h. went
into effect. This Donman denied.
While this does not hold up The
small amount OF construction under
way for tho Government, u halts tho
signing Of agreements FOR the two
new Government fahricotinR plauta
With a capacity OF $500 900 tons OF
etcol shipping in eighteen mo@shs
the communicating OF 100000 tons
on the ways and contracts with nri-
vate yards for large additional tom
mage
No one would say whom the meet
ing Of tho Shipping Board was 10 he
held At tho ofilco OF General
Cocktails II was said no notice had
been received OF tho dato. Chair
man Donman said he would not call
tho meeting until he obtained inform
alton which he had asked OF General
Goethals
positive denial that his letter con-
tanned any request for a suspension OF
the program was made by Denman.
As neither Denman nor Cocktails
would make public the text OF the let
Ter Il was not possible 10 learn tho
truth Of the situation.
Denman asserted that he merely.
asked the General for information as
to details OF the program, lnforma-
ton which he said the General
should have been able to furnish
within two hours He said there was
no suggestion that the General should
postpone putting it In effect His at
tiu0e. however, Is that the General
had no authority TO promul-
gato any policy or program until II
had the approval OF tho shipping
board.
The situation In consequence is thai
the two men have resumed tho nigh
for authority. question which th'
President evidently failed TO settle BY
his recent executive order givlni
{ Coothals supreme power I'm tho actual
construction work and IN the com-
mand(erinR OF ships on tho stocks.
= he feeling is growing that the two
mon never will work in harmony to-
gether; thar SO long as their powers
are nearly equal they Will clash IN
Cessantly and embarrass the ship,
ping program and that tho construc-
tor Of a vast fleet 70 assist In making
up FOR the submarine destruction VIII
not progress at the highest possible
speed untll tho discordant situation
IS relieved possibly by the removal
OF one or the other ofhcial.
Criticism is being directed At the
President for not handling the quarrel
IN a irmer manner, and II he wished
TO retain both men for not defining in
terms that could not be misunder-
stood By either their respective
powers and functions. That he viii
be driven to some drastic action 10
clarity the governments policies In
respect to construction and conf
Numbering is regarded as certain. Al
present they are IN a muddle.
Denman represents one set or
policies and Cocktails evidently an
other which viii gain the ascend
ancy Is being laboriously fought out
hy the two. Denman in a formal
Statement assailed Cocktails for appar-
ent friendliness TO the steel people
and indicated that he would make his
fight against the General on tnes'
lines
cInclusion OF more wooden
ships in the program. particularly
or the Hough design ship, Which
NAV be built more speedily than
the Ferris type. which has been
given the preference by Goethais
sInsistence upon a reasonable
price for steel and FOR the fabri-
cation of steel ships.
1.-The retention in the posses
sion OF this Government OF all
alien tonnage on the stocks in the
United States
In his disclaimer of Gen. Goethals
charge that be was responsible 70
holding up the program that was Z
have been launched yesterday, Den
man said:
I've requested OF Cen Cocktails Ger
tain information concerning the pro
gram for the expenditure OF $3.50,