The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1918-03-19
BY MILTON BRONNER
Special staff Dispatch

America is disappointed Ill the
amount of ship tonnage produced
for the Emergency Fleet Corpora
tion in this crucial year of the
war. the reason for 1t can be SCI
down in four words--THE TRAG-
EDY OF DELAY.
All thru the tangled story vi
the attempt not only to win this
war by creating great armada
of troop and supply ships, but TO
make of the u. s. once more
great mercantile maritime power,
there appears the same fact of
fatal loss of time where time was
precisely the thing we could not
afford to lose.
1t really began back in Decem-
Der, 1914, when Woodrow Wilson
asked that congress pass bin
creating a shipping board to pur-
chase, construct and operate mer-
chant vessels in the foreign trade
of the United States. Our neces-
sity was manifest.
The great war had started in
August, 1914, and for our own
safety and prosperity it seemed
wise to have our own mercantile
fleets
Beaten by Filibuster
But the bill was defeated by a
notorious filibuster.
1t was reintroduced in 1916.
upon the insistence of Wilson and
Secretary McAdoo and became
law ON September Z, 1916. But
20 precious months had already
been lost.
How precious they were may be
guaged by this. A member of
President Wilson's cabinet recent
ly said to your correspondent; "If
the war situation becomes critical
this summer because of lack of
ships, it will be largely the fault
of the men who engineered the
filibuster of January, 1915"
President Wilson sent in to the
senate in December. 1916. the
nomination of five men to consti-'
tute the Shipping Board. They
were not acted upon for nearly a
month.
However. on January 30, 1917,
the board was organized by the
election of William Denman of
California as chairman. The
Emergency Fleet Corporation, a
subsidiary of the Shipping Board,
was also organized, General Will
liam Goethals being made general
manager.
Controversy Fatal
Denman and Goethals had hard
ly gotten into office when there
began the famous controversy
over a policy-whether wooden or
steel ships or both should be built,
and how many of each.
The controversy between Den
man and Goethals continued un-
til on July "a. last, when both
resigned. This was followed by
the resignation of two other Ship
ping Board members.
All of which necessitated a COM
plete change in the Shipping
Board and the Emergency Fleet
Corporation officers. e. N. Hurley
became chairman of the former
and president of the latter on July
81 last.
Goehtals was succeeded by Ad-
miral Caps, who was SUI cceeded
by Admiral Harris, who was sue
ceeded by Charles Piez.
The serious part about these
changes was that Goethals left
with his approvals contracts for
100000 tons of ships worth
100000, 900. Admiral Capps
necessarily wanted to look over
them, with the result that the con-
tracts were not finally let until
September. a loss OF over
months time in the best part of
the year.
Causes of Delay
Under the Hurley regime the
causes of delay have been as fol-
lows-labor troubles. congestion
in railway movement, lack of ma
terial for wood ships, and short
age of workers due to the lack of
proper housing facilities.
The delay due to labor troubles
has been the least fatal Thirty
seven companies had strikes in 81
plants, 81 were due to the wage
question and 2 to working con-
ditions. The operation OF the
wage adjustment board has served
to reduce this trouble to a mini