New-York tribune., 1920-12-02

Iestifying on matters relating to the
AFFAIRS of the Shipping Board in gen
eral. Mr.. Sisler corroborated previous
testimony of lack Of accounting, lack
Oh organization and other abuses which
ne said resulted in Gigantic losses" to
the government. He said that durno
the time he was secretary he had dis.
agreements with Mr.. Hurley, then
chairman of the board, and admitted
that this "incompatability of tempera-
ment' did not make for the efficiency
of the boards work
Goethals Controversy Unfortunate
He said that the "gigantic losses"
were due particularly to the fact that
when the government had comman-
deered all American ships of more
than $500 tons in 1917 it had no oper-
atlng department, and that no efforts
were made to obtain men proficient in
the work of ship accounting. Such
men, he said, could have been obtained
and would have saved the government
millions of dollars. He said also that
the socalled Goethals- contro-
versy was most unfortunate thing
tor the country.
at this point William II. Denman,
the first chairman Of the Shipping
board, took the stand and made q
statement preliminary to testimony he
is to give in Washington before the
committee. Mr.. Denman appeared at
his own request. He said it was his
desire to kill the so-called Denman-
Goethals controversy"
tie denied that there ever was such
q controversy, SO far as wooden ships
were concerned. He said his resigna-
ton from the Shipping Board, as we'll
as that Of General Goethals, was due
not to disagreement over wooden ships,
but to break on the question of the
construction of certain type of
Diesel driven vessels, which, he said,
had they been constructed on the scale
ne advocated would have made the
United States the most powerful COM
petitor for the worlds commerce to-
day.
Will Prove Charge of Politics
Mr.. Denman asserted that his efforts
t. have such ships constructed were
foiled by certain political and foreign
Influences, and that &be would prove
this charge when he ppears before the
committee again. He testified that he
never advocated the building of fleet
Of wooden ships, except as an auxiliary
to the major steel ship program, and
that General Goethals was in perfect
harmony with him on this idea.
MI. DcAlldn tOlu tne committee ne
was prepared to show contracts which
he had procured for the building of
Diesel engine ships with legitimate
and sound concerns. The execution Of
these contracts. he said, was frus-
trated by propaganda in Washington
by adverse interests whose object it
is to prevent the development of a
great American merchant marine. He
insisted that the adoption of the Die
Sc! oil-driven engine for American
ships will place this country in an
lmpregnable position in the maritime
world and conserve the supply of the
country's oil.
Mr.. Denman was assured at the con-
clusion Of his statement that he would
be given full opportunity to present
his case to the committee.
Martin j. Gillen, former assistant to
John Barton Payne and Admiral Will
lam 5. Benson, appeared and corrected
some of the testimony given by him
previously before the committee. Fol-
lowing these corrections, Mr.. Gillen
made statement praising the work
OF the Walsh committee as q great.
instructive enterprise that will prove
Of Immense value to the nation.
The committee adjourned yesterday
to meet in Washington at the call Of
the chairman.