Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-02-08
SLIPS AND ALEssok.


has been forced home to the unoer-
standing of Americans as the result
Of the souabble in Washington over
the condition of the war department
It is that the nations supply OF shps
is exceedingly small in COMPARISON 70
the demand for them. II secretary
Raker is right in his estimate that
5ao 900 American soldiers will be IN
EUROPE early this year" and that
900 900 more will be ready to SAL
for France before the end OF 1918, ana
If Senator Hitchcock is right IN ms
assertion that it is impossible to pro
vide ships to transport and supply
the / .ODO, 900 men, then the very ure,
eut thing for America to do is TO speed
up ship building.
The Iowa council Of defense has IS
sued an appeal to men to offer tnem-
calves as shipbuilders. There is snort
age of labor in shipyards; there nave
heen several troublesome shipyard
strikes: there are numerous specinc
cases of bad management oy lnalvio-
nal building concerns with consequen!
DELAYS. All these circumstances aoa
more of delay to the months when
must elapse. under the best OF conol-
lions. betw cen the first days work on
a shin and the delivery OF the vessel
for use at sea.
The country has been particularly
unfortunate with regard to its snip
building program. The Goethais'
Denman row is history. but it is also
verv distasteful history. Events
which have transpired since both the
principals in this quarrel were per
mitted to resign indicate that General
Goethals was eminently right in ms
contention and Mr.. Denman was emf
nently wrong. Yet General Goethais
left with his rival, probably in accord.
ance with an arrangement to aVold
damaging the latter's feelings. A
strong man was lost and his success
sors had to pick up loose ends OF wolh
when they undertook to carry out lne
task he had started.
There is every indication that
Chairman Hurley is capable execu-
tive and that he has surrounded MIN
self with a strong staff. but there is
equal indication that some or the CON
Germs which have accepted contracts.
for the construction and delivery OF
shins win not be able to carry out
their agreements. Adoption of the
"cost plus profit system of contract
ing for vessels put premium on
profiteers' methods and invited mem
cheney at time when the utmost EN-
cheney was Of vital importance
While the shipping board was limp
ing along under this and that man.
agement, numerous other govern
ment activities were functioning sue
cessfully and with good results: But
all were operating independently OF
the others and without coordination.
Had they been directed and super.
vised by supreme war cabinet
there is every reason to believe that
the members of this body, being men
of high ability and keen perception
would have identified the weaknesses
of the shipping board quickly and
used their authority to substitute
strength.
It is too late now to mourn for the
loss of efficiency that might have
been realized, but it is not too late to
turn the lesson to profitable account
for the future. 1t is not too late for
the creation Of a war cabinet to pre-
vent or at least to reduce the number
of collapses in the future by compre-
hensive supervision and coordination
If effort