The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-22
SENATE WILL PROBE
D. S. SHIP BUILDING
wooden Craft Part Of Big Pro-
9ramme Is Called Colossal
~ Fizzle.
NOT ONE GOES OVERSEAS
Maintenance Cost Of Plans
Announced by Hurley Will
Be Scrutinized.
specsdI Despatch to THE SUI.

Special Despatch to THs Sur.
WARRINGTON, Nov. 21.-The Senate
ccn1mittee on Commerce was authorized
To-Day 10 probe into the question Of
American ocean commerce. and a reso-
iution framed by Senator Harding
fohio) and ratified by that committee
was Unanimously adopted In the Senate.
Recalls on the United States Shipping
Board and the Emergency Fleet Cor
purAfton to report every detail Of their
stsgtrdship of the great trust reposed
IN tlsm by the American people. The
we1den ship programme in particular
VIII, be made the object Of closest
ecFdtiny by the Senators.
II has been brought to the attention
Of the Senate that the wooden ship
plan for which former Chairman Will
lam Denman of the Shipping Board and
sou1s or his following in that organ
nation promised 30 much has developed
inso colossal fizzle.
pGenate Adopts Resofation.
TIE resolution recommended by the
commerce committee and adopted by the
Senate follows:
Resolved mat the United States,
Whipping Board and the Emergency
vleet Corporation be requested TO fur
ni63i to the Senate Committee on Com
mcgee O report OF all existing contracts
foff ship construction, the cost Of such
coftrtruction In both private and Gov
er1fnent shipyards, the provisions for
tke cancellation OF contracts made
for emergency war needs, together
with report OF ships delivered and
she disposition thereof. and ships in
process of construction: and also
e1port OF contracts and deliveries or
I materials for fabricated ships.
The committee itself adopted the sJl'
lowing resolution:
Resolved. That the United States
6hfpping Board be and Is hereby re-
guested to furnish the Committee on
Commerce with a detailed statement
showing:
The number of ships built by the
Emergency Fleet Corporation, the
yard where built and the kind and
cost Of each ship:
The number of ships launched, the
uunnber delivered, the number in serv-
lee and what service, and terms
tAsreof, including the kind of ship in
each instance: and IL there has been
delay between launching and service.
eAo reason therefor. with number and
What has been done and when and
tAs details with reference to providing
housing for shipworkers under the act
passed with regard thereto.
big Expenditures Seen.
Senator Harding. author Of the reso-
iuti0n. In bringing the matter before the
Senate to-day. said:
the resolution is inspired by the pub
1ication m the press OF utterances Of the
president OF the Shipping Board and OF
the director-generaI OF the Emergehey:
Fleet Corporation that there are places
In the shipyards now for 100000 men
additional to the present force II re-
quires but little figuring to present the
fact that that means an additional ex-
pendifure over our present outlay OF
more than $6oo.ooo.oo0 year for labor
alone.
sNo matter what the policy Of the
Government may be as to the future and
no matter how earnestly we an favor
the construction OF the largest merchant
marine in the world II Is inconceivable
that the Government win go on appropri-
atiug money for ship construction at the
present rate. which is from four to six
lines the normal cost"
Senator Borah at once demanded 10
know II the adoption of the resolution
would bring out the number of wooden
ships sunk.
"The resolution" Senator Harding re-
Piled. "calls for the number OF ships
which have been constructed and the
disposition made OF them. II the Sena-
tor accepts the sinking OF a ship as a
disposition OF It I think an answer 10
the resolution will furnish the informa-
ton"
ate that the law requires the Shipping
Board to make a report to the Senate
December /, but suggested that this re-
port ID general in character and will not
cover the information desired by the
resolution.
Failure, Says Calder.
Commenting upon the Harding resoiu-
tiou Senator Calder IN. ~, who had
intended to offer a like resolution. said
in an interview that from intimate in
formation that had come to him Il was
evident that the whole chipping nro-
gramme had been n gigantic failure"
"Of the 500 ships IN the wooden ship
programme" said Senator Calder. re
liable information is that only ninety
ships were finally turned over as com
pleted. OF these ninety not more than
thirty have carried cargo. OF the
thirty ships that have taken cargo not
one has gone overseas. Expert shipping
men cay 1t would be impossible to ex-
pect these wooden ships to make the
overseas trip. They are not built for II.
'Of the ninety ships. am informed
that the first two which were allocated
60 q shipper on the coast, sank. One
went down before 1t got to his pier, and
the other sank on its way up on trip
They are both now at the bottom OF the
sea- Not one OF the ninety ships was
required to make anything more than q
haFbor test. that Is, they aid not 20 out
into the open sea. There was no tell
ing whether they were seaworthy. One
shipbuilder told mo he might be able to
get one OF the ships over to Europe, but
the strain on II would be such that It
could never be brought back without a
lot Of overhauling
II understand that expert shipbuild-
ers are Urging that contracts for all of
the wooden ships be cancelled an they
IRE convinced that the wooden ship Is a
failure. Contracts for some already
have been cancelled"