New-York tribune., 1918-08-01
Shipping Board Head Wins
Fight to Prevent Army
From Building Vessels
Baker Gives Decision
Steel and Paint Needed Are
Withheld and General
Mix-up Impends
Especial Dispatch to The Tribune)

Especial Dispatch to The Tribune)
WASHINGTON, July 31.-Concrete
ships now have the Shipping Board and
the army by the ears, with the navy
we'll mixed up in the controversy, the
lnl md Waterways Committee some
what involved, and the newly formed
concrete ship association skirting the
hostilities looking for chance to "butt
in"
The party began when General
Goethals's army transport service took
to building boats for its own uses
without comforting with the Shipping
Board. All went fairly we'll until the
@ontractors needed some steel. About
that time Mr.. Hurley put in a CLAIM,
that all steel for shipbuiiding was his,
and besides he took the ground that
his was the shipbuilding department
of the government.
So he took steps to have the War
Industries Board deny steel to the
army boats. Secretary Baker was in
clined to think that Mr.. Hurley was
right, General Goethals has not been
heard from, and now the Priorities
fully but firmly lined up with Mr..
Hurley.
Persons who know General Goethals
and are in closeJtouch with him inti-
mate that when the general is heard
from there will be noise comparable
to the one when Mr.. Denman heard
from him.
Goethals Orders Ships
The seeds Of the trouble were soWn
when General Goethals let a contract
for twelve river steamers of concrete
to the West Coast Shipbuilding Com
pany. Of Everett, Wash. The company
undertook to build six at Everett and
six at Wilmington. N. c., where the
government has located concrete ship
yard of it's own. and also steel ship
plant.
The general did not take this step
with the aid or consent Of the Shipping
Board. He needed some boats, and
he started to get them in the charac
teristic Goethals way.
On top of that the general let con-
tracts for steel mine sweepers and dom
crete water boats, and is now consider
ing bids for wood and concrete car
ferries. The Inland Waterways Com
mittee has contracted for twenty one
concrete canalboats. Mr.. Hurley does
ferries, but the river steamers annoy
him, as they call for machinery, as well
as reinforcing steel, and are distinctly
contrary to his policy of preventing the
building Of any concrete vessels of
more than a thousand tons or that are
self-propeled, except through the Ship
ping Board. Besides, it is known that
the army transport people are figuring
on large ocean going ships Of concrete.
The first signs Of battle were OBJ
served in the offing when the transport
people sought to obtain from the
Emergency Fleet Corporation some of
the new paint that has been developed
for protecting concrete surfaces from
the action Of sea water. The quest
was in vain.
To-day the action became general
when Mr.. Hurley xecured from the War
Industries Board3a ruling sustaining
his position in t,Ao. On behalf OF the
army Secretary Baker conceded ( at
the defeat was complete. but Cen al
Goethals may refuse 10 admit that .e
is beaten.
1t was learned tonight thni Hecre-
tary Daniels is also in for 'ng,
for he is having built conc ..ers
of more than a thousand tons, and elf
propelled at that.
Battle Lines Are Drawn
Secretary Baker to-day informed
Mr.. Hurley that he knew nothing abo-.t
General Goethals's shipbuilding plans
and that it was obviously the bust
ness of the Shipping Board to build
ships. Mr. Hurley then assured Sec
retary Baker that the Shipping Board
had no intention of manufacturing guns
and ammunition, it being generally un-
derstood that the War Department had
quite enough of that work to keep it
fairly busy.
81 cannot say that l would welcome
competition in shipbuilding by another
government Department. Mr.. Hurley
told the Secretary of War, cat Least
while the problems of labor and ma
terials are causing Us SO much con-
Germ"
Secretary Daniels had not surren-
dered at last reports, but it was re-
garded as certain that he would after
a mere formal show Of resistance.
1t is expected that the Concrete Ship
Association. which was formed in New
York on July "a, will make the Incl
dent the occasion of a determined fight
for the rights of concrete. Congress
sonal support already has been in
voked
Engineer browns i'm