Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1920-11-16
BENSON DISCUSSES
MANY Of CHARGES
MADE As TO BOARD
EXECUTIVE HEAD or ORGANIZA.
BROUGHT TO LIGHT.
WOULD METE PUNISHMENT
Declares Tbst lie Has Watched Work
In Every Port Of World and Wants
Merchant Marine of Nation 90
De n Success.
By Associated Press.

By Associated Press.
CHARLESTON. 4. C.. Nov. l5.-Re.
plying 90 critics Of the shipping board
and emergency fleet corporation. Rear
Admiral William 4. Benson. chairman
of the board. declared In an address
here tonight before the South Atlantic
Ports Association. that his fellow
countrymen" could depend upon II that
no wrongdoer connected with the board
twill escape II his wrong doing IN
called 20 my attention"
Not only have I insisted upon the
closest watch upon all matters said
Chairman Benson. but have fol.
lowed the work Of the shipping board In
every port Of the world with the one
thought In mind that we now reach.
that crucial moment which spells either
the failure or success OF the perma.
nent merchant marine.
There IN no effort on our part IN
ahirk whatever responsibility We have
assumed. We have insisted that Mt all
times the records are open 10 the pub.
lie. Every facility is offered 10 those
who desire information.
Picking Of Flaws.
'It In an easy matter for anyone 10
pick flaws In an organization like the
shipping board. We had 90 train 30O,.
900 shipbuilders and In the manning OF
our ships We have had To train thou
sands OF men. OF course. IN an organl.
zation of this magnitude. you will find
here and there evidences Of wrong do
ing and now and then you viii uncover
n systematic effort 90 defraud. Il was
necessary for the shipping board to
employ mon whose sole responsibility
was uncovering wrong doing. and these
men were charged with a heavy respon.
slhillty. The men who were depended
upon 10 be checks upon those who
might be tempted 90 wrong. bear n
heavy responsibility II they failed u.s.
hut In an organization spending moro
than three billion dollars. millions ot
dollars are expended from day To day,
IL would he humanity impossible To pre-
vent all wrong doing or to do business
without suffering financial losses from
time 10 time"
shipping Problems.
Men Of vision will take into consid
GRAFTON the whole picture presented ~
shipping problems. Chairman Benson
asserted. recalling the work done by
the American Merchant Marine during
the war and pressing the vision Of Ed
ward n. Hurley who as chairman of
the board after the armis,ice. went
ahead with the shipbuilding program.
My predecessor. John Barton Payne.
had heavy responsibility placed upon
his. when he stepped into the office
made vacant through MFR. Hurley's res.
iEnation," Admiral Henson continued.
Thousands OF claims amounting %
millions ~ dollars the Jobs of moro
than 800 000 men involved In tho set
tlement ~ these claims problems OF re-
construction are only few Of the many
pressing matters that came before him
In n days work"
Responsibility for the establishment
Of n permanent merchant marine rests
with the American people, as well ~
the hoard. Chairman Benson declared.
aiding that 1T " the responsibility ~
every newspaper publisher In America
and have time and again called upon
the press and they have met me In n
noble manner ,o spread this message
before the world-that America In now
ship independent"
Efiort Worldwide.
I'VE are engaged In no childs play
Mr.. Benson said. "our effort IL worlf
wide our work reaches into every part
~ the world: II affecas every interest.
II II your business 10 watch this devel'
opmcnt and 10 CRITICALLY examine our
work from day to day. II II your busl.
ness to question what we do. II is n
good thing that men are awakened 90
the splendid opportunity shipping az
fords hut while u n no chid's play &.
build up this vast worldwide organiza.
ticn. do say Il IL n child's play on tho
part ~ anyone who hcedlessly spreads
erroneous impressions which tend "a
destroy confidence In our ability tn
maintain. support and develop n perma.
ncnt merchant marine. privately
owned Al We ask " constructive crit.