The Washington herald., 1920-12-14
SAYS U.S.. NEEDS
DIESEL ENGINES TO
HOLD SEA POWER
First Chairman of Ship
Board Terms Rejection
Dire Misfortune.

Declaring that Americas hope for
maritime supremacy depends upon
adoption of the Diesel type Of. ma
rine engine. William Denman, first
chairman of the United States Ship
ping Board. appeared yesterday. at
his own request. before the Walsh
committee investigating the Ship
ping Board, in defense of his ad-
vocacy of this engine. Its rejection.
he said, was the climax of the
tragedy of misfortune" of the Hur-
ley administration.
incidentally Denman revealed
hitherto unknown details Of the
differences between himself and Gen.
Goethals. first president of the
Emergency Fleet Corporation Of the
Shipping Board. These differences
resulted in the designations of both.
Would Cut Red Tape.
Contrary to the general impress
sion that these differences resulted
over the policy OF wooden ship con-
struction. Denman declared that the
trouble grew out of the desire OF
Goethals TO cut red tape and his
averseness to delay incident to COM
municating his plans for the de-
Selopmept of the Hog Island ship
yards to other members of the
board. Denman denied any differ
ences between himself and Goethals.
Denman also. in answer to ques-
tions of Chairman Walsh of the
committee, revealed that he had op-
posed efforts of Stevens. whom he
described as the political member"
of the board, to place r. Wilmer
Boiling. brother-in-law of President
Wilson, in some position on the
Shipping Board.
Denmnn Tells Objections
Denman's objection to the en-
ployment Of Boiling, he said, was
based on the view that he would
become the object, because Of his
relation to the President, of design
ing persons. which might result in
embarrassment to the entire board.
Speaking of the Diesel engine.
Denman, in a prepared statement.
declared that through the rejection
of this type of engine, Chairman
Hurley had "unconsciously contrIp-
uted more to the success of our
Scandinavian and British competi-
tors on the seas" than the most ar
dent of our few A nglo-un- Amer
lean administrators during the
war"
After listing the number of fac
tories in Great Britain and else
where equipped to construct moth
ing but Diesel engines and telling
OF the numbers being built in other
countries. Denman intimated that
our foreign shipping competitors
were not desirous of seeing this
country adopt the Diesel engine.
Depend on British Bankers.
Our wasteful steam engines are
dependent on British bankers" he
! said. We cannot carry enough fuel
to pay the loss up the smoke stack,
and complete our long voyages.
We must stop and beg fuel supply
at the British and other bunkering
stations on the China coast, in
Japan, in the East Indies, at Suez
| at Alden, in the Mediterranean and
| in the South Atlantic.
How the British coerced OUT
commerce by bunkering agreements
before we entered the war is now
| history. / am not seeking to attack
it as a war necessity. The impor-
tant thing is, they can do it again
The sailing radius of a 10000
ton Diesel ship is $4,000 miles or
the oil in her ballast tanks. Thf:
is once around the world. past al
the British and other bunkering
| stations and then some," as ship
| ping men put II.
The United States can balance Its
fleet only by adding. or converting
| from steam, at least 100000 tons
of motor-ships. We should stimu
late the building Of Diesel factories
and produce more than our British
and Scandinavian competitors. II
we do not. we have lost the battle
| for maritime supremacy, and will
not have even a fair share in the
| u.orld'S