The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-06-23
BUILD ALL SHIPS POSSIBLE WILSON
 TELLS GOETHALS Contest Between Army En- gineer and Denman Set
 tied by President STEEL COST IS TO BE ASCERTAINED AT ONCE Baruch Thinks Quibbling Over Prices by Those Not Empowered to Buy
 Should Stop-Win the
 War, He Says

GoethalS, manager Of the boards emergency fleet cor poration, for authority to exercise powers granted by Congress in providing a merchant fleet will be set tied by President Wilson giving General Goethals the authority, with directions that he build all the ships possible, both steel and wood.
 General Goethals will be author ized to commandeer immediately all shipping now building, speed up it's construction and spend the $500,000,- 900 appropriated by Congress for shipbuilding. Chairman Denman will retain powers necessary for operat- ing and chartering ships and as pres ident of the fleet corporation will continue to pass finally on contracts for construction.
 The power granted to the President to commander steel supplies probably will not be delegated to any one for the present. The government, it is said, hopes to arrive at some arrange ment as to steel prices which will make it unnecessary to commander.
 NEW TURN IN DISPUTE
 The dispute over prices to be paid for steel took a new turn today when Chairman Denman asked the federal trade commission to investigate the costs of steel manufacture with view to arriving at fair price, and General Goethals requested the steel commit tee of the council of national defense to take the matter up. MT. Denman has baked at paying more than s56 ton for steel and refused to sign con- tracts made by General Goethals call ing for steel at s95.
 The question of price was gone over by General Goethals today with mem- bers of the steel committees, most of whom are steel manufacturers and au- thorities on the product.
 Mr. Denman's action in requesting the trade commission to determine steel manufacturing costs was ex plained tonight in statement saying the shipping board desired some estab- lished government agency to arrive at costs so that the individual consumer might be protected against raise In prices which would come when the government went into the market for large quantities of steel at low prices.
 TO INVESTIGATE AT ONCE
 At the trade commissions offices it was said the steel investigation prob ably would be started immediately and that the cost facts developed probably would be used as basis for legisla- ton to be asked protecting individual consumers from high prices. The com mission has no power to fix prices either for the government or for an in- dividual, but prices it@recommended probably would be adopted by the fleet SOIPOldtlOll do OdSlS IOl pdl s diiiiiio with the steel plants.
 If the steel plants decline to sell at the trade commission figures, the gov- ernment, if it is determined to obtain steel at that price, can exercise the power to commander. The navy now paying $65 a ton for steel, also has the power to commander under the national defense act, ~
 WILL NOT GRANT POWER
 It is considered unlikely that the President at this time will grant either MT. Denman or General Goethals power to commander supplies for building the merchant fleet. Contracts will continue to be signed with s56 as a tentative steel price. Some members of the shipping board. including MT Denman, are for communicating steel If the trade commission price is de- clined by the steel plants General Goethals saw President Wilson today and later declined to make any state ment.
 An inquiry into prices of steel, coal copper and other basic materials used by the government for war purposes was decided on today by the Senate interstate commerce. committee. Coal will be the first subject taken up.
 MUCH CONFUSION
 Confusion over purchasing for the government duplication of effort and varying prices paid by different gov ernment departments for supplies may bring, it was said tonight, a rearrange- ment of committees of the council of national defense and creation of buy ing commissioners with sole responsi- bility in purchasing Under this ar- engagement Bernard Baruch, chairman of the councils committee on raw sup plies, probably would become buyer Of raw materials, and Julius Rosenwald, chairman of the committee on supplies, would purchase finished products. Either could call on the trade commits sion or any other government agency for aid in determining costs.
 Mir. Baruch, who negotiated arrange ments with producers through which the government has obtained advan- tageous prices for many raw materials, has no sympathy with disputes be- tween officials as to the prices at which steel should be furnished for shipbuilding.
 "WIN THE WAR"
 sryVinnine the war Is all that colynts