The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-18
Rear Admiral Harris Re
signs and Charles Piez
Succeeds Him
GOOD PROGRESS
Is REPORTED
Shipbuilding Program Go
ing More Rapidly Than
Generally Believed.
CBy Associated Prcss.l

Washington, Dec. ls.-Further re-
organization OF the governments
ship building organization was an-
nounced today, with the resignation
Of Rear Admiral Harris as general
manager Of the emergency fleet cor
poratton and the appointment OF
Charles Piez, Of Chicago, TO succeed
him.
With the announcement OF the
change Chairman Hurley discloses
that the progress OF building ships
was going forward more rapidly than
had been generally known.
A general reorganization OF the
Meet corporation will follow. Rear
Admiral Bowles, aide TO Admiral
Harris. will be given an important
place In the new organization.
James Heyworth will take fun
charge Of wooden construction and
Charles Day will become manager OF
the production department.
Admiral Harris resignation was
accepted, Chairman Hurley an
nounced, because OF his inslstence on
moving the Offices OF the corporation
to Philadelphia.
The shipbuilding program. Chair
man Hurley announced, is In better
shape than any time since AZ was
launched. Conditions on the Paclnc
coast are excellent, he declared, and
work is progressing everywhere a.
fast as human labor can turn it ou1.
At present there are under con-
struction and under contract, II was
announced, s,395, sos deadwefrht
tons Of shipping.
Differ on Policy.
Admiral harris, upon the retire
menL OF Admiral Capps, on Dec, 4
on account OF III healun, was deslk-
mated general manager salu ChatF-
man Hurley in a prepared statement.
While the reorganization was In
progress he suggested 10 me that tnv
emergency feet corporation be NOV
ed 20 Philadelphia. suggested tnat
a matter OF this kind, lnvoIvnl2
policy as well as possible legislaLlge
approval would certainly have % Je
submitted to the board OF truH.osa.
as IL would be submitted in any eDr-
poration 10 the board OF airect0t j.
Admiral Harris also wanted "a gfNs
his immediate approval 10 an OK.
pendtture OF Slz,UU0,y0O for housing
operations in connection with tnu
Bnipyards. This being a departure
from the corporations functions Of
such building / felt that the trustees
should pass upon IL.
Admiral Harris then expressed
his opinion that his authority was 70
be limited and he would be able 10
render more service elsewhere. The
board OF trustees concurred in this
Judgment feeling that their duty
required careful consideration of
projects apart from shipbuildinw.
The grasp of Mr.. Piez upon the
whole shipbuiiding program has been
so strong and his knowledge Of actual
conditions in the yards so definlts
as a result Of his study in the field.
that the best results can be obtained
by combining his function as vices
president with those OF general man
ager."
The result OF the reorganization
already is apparent i'm all the yards
Lloyd's has just made a report which
has been carefully checked up and
which shows that there is a better
basis for optimism than there has
been at any time since the emergency
program was launched. Conditions
on the Pacific coast have 30 improV-
ed that records are being broken "a
the speed with which ships are be-
ing turned out. The reports OF Adj
mlral Bowles show that construction
work is progressing as fast a.
human labor can turn IL out. The
plans OF last May have been trans
lated into hulls on the ship ways
and into ships on the seas. We are
close TO the point where the results
Of what has been done win be ap-
parent to everyone.
THE carefully checked figures of
Admiral BowIes show s,395, ,S08 dead
weight tons under construction and
under contract"
Friends OF Admiral Harris declared
he had acted unselfishly In resigning
because he thought a general rear
rangement OF Affairs at the ghipbuild~
ing organization would hurry the
work.