New-York tribune., 1920-11-26
Wooden Ship
Controversy
Bobs Up Again
I)enman-Coethals Dispute Is
Likely To Be Brought Up
Bv Former Before Walsh
Inquiry Committee Today
,Iisrepresented, Is Claim
said To Have Favored Wood
Tonnage Only for Use In
Emergency of War Period


coetbals controversy of the early days
,t the Shipping Board may be written
when the Walsh Congressional COM
rit,se investigating the board resumes
II sessions here to-day
William Denman. San Francisco law
yer and first chairman Of the Shipping
.gnard has asked to be heard by the
committee, and if he is given an oppor-
unity to testify to-day, he is expected
ID reopen the question Of wooden ships,
vbjch has long been problem for the
heard and which now has hundreds OF
,sese steamers on its hands which it
IS anxious 10 sell.
General George W. Goethals has fig
ared as as strong an opponent of the
value of this wooden tonnage as MIR.
Denman has been represented to be a
Champion Of it. The controversy which
nged in the board eliminated in the
a.tadrawal Of Mr Deuman.
That Ire has been miSrepresented is
he stand expected to be taken by Mr..
Asrman before the Walsh committee.
Friends Of the former chairman of the
Shipping Board state that he advocated
he building Of wooden vessels for war
emergency purposes only, and that he
vas strongly opposed to any effort to
sceumu.ats great volume Of this
t.nnage for commercial purposes after
the war. regarding them as merely
supplementary to steel vessels in &
line Of desperate need.
Denman for Motor Ships
II Mr. Denman enters upon an ex-
1anation Of his policies as to the op-
sratons Of the Shipping Board it is
probable that he VIII take up the ques-
ion Of motor ships as we'll as that of
wooden steamers. and that in the latter
Connection he viii discuss the policies
q General Goethals as we'll as his
gwn
As chairman Of the board Mr.. Dem
nan was a strong advocate of the pos
abilities Of ships operated by Diesel
Engines, stand which, his friends
point out, has since been justified
By the Development Of this type Of yes
,el. especially IN view Of the rapid
conversion Of the worlds tonnage from
coal TO oil.
Although the Shipping Board or
rad ffty-two Diesel engines, with a
view to their installation III vessels to
be built by the board, half of these
lfcers were subsequently, Cancelled
~ the remaining twenty-six were
a1s..1 Is sale, some of them still be-
's uns0id
IS result the board now has only
single motorship. the William Penn,
ne liesei engines in this being two of
idlr boGeh, by Edward \. Hurley in
Europe while he was chairman of the
lizard. Nc plans have been made by
The beard TO 90 into construction Of
motor vessels to any appreciate ex-
;ent although private owners are hav-
rg these types of vessels built on a
''eaiily increasing scale.
Europe Taking tp Dieseis
European ehipowners are especially
'cilve in this direction. a number Of
1iesel-engincd ships are being con-
Iucted in Great Britain, while in
toatnen' Europe this class of con-
s'ruc''' Is leading all other types
Mnslned Three hundred motor yes
~.- a'a now reported TO be under way
In Europe
Some OF the largest American ship
yards have recently taken up the build
'Hg OF internal combustion engines, and
motor hlps are expected 10 figure
PROMINENTLY the tonnage to be built
lor private account in this country
rom now on IN addition to econo-
MES effected IN fuel costs and reduc-
non IN the size Of the engine room
'ofce, motor ships are regarded as
ldclng to operating efficiency. Steady
leyelopment is being made in their use
and they are now being installed in
large sized vessels.
o'e British steamship company
alone, 'he Glen Line. has ordered
weye 001-deadweight tor motor
cargo carriers, and six of $4,000 tons
eacn are planned Some Of these YES
'sls have already been placed in serv-
zee and others are being constructed
As an advocate Of the motor ship Mr.
DeAman is expected to show the advan-
ages that would have accrued to Amer
can shipping If the board had fol
lo~ed out the original plan for the
0lldlne OF motor vessels.
mere has boen much criticism Of the
early methods Of the Shipping Board.
ana 1t is likely that Mr. Denman will
90 INTO thus phase Of the situation and
EEK to show shat the policies adopted
we're justified by the needs of the