The New York herald., 1921-01-29
TALKS TO ENGINEERS
Overhead in Operation Of
Vessels Should Be Cut
Down, He Says.
MUST USE OIL AS FUEL
Admiral Declares Future of
Merchant Marine Is in
Motor Development.

Rear Admiral W. S. Benson, chair
man of the United States Shipping
Board, said last night that an audit of
the books of the Bethlehem. Shipbuild-
ing Corporation. the Bethlehem Steel
Company and Government accounts.
as suggested by Perley Morse. is
agreeable to him If it also Is agreeable
to Charles NJ. Schwab and the Walsh
Investigating committee. The Admiral
said, however, that he did not wish to
interfere with the Walsh committee
and that the matter of an audit was
entirely up to the committee and Mr..
Schwab.
Admiral Benson made the statement
to reporters after he had spoken before
joint meeting of mechanical and
electrical engineers in the Engineering
Societies Building, 20 West Thirty
ninth street. The Admiral was asked
whether he had heard Of the Schwab
voucher and he said he had heard OF
the rumor. but that he was too busy
man to chase after rumors. He said
that the audit of the shipbuilding COM
pany's books on overhead now being
made by Shipping Board auditors, was
proceeding slowly, and that he could
not express himself until it has been
completed.
plea for the development OF new
internal explosive engine that will elm
mate the use of steam and thereby re-
duce the overhead of ship operation was
made by the Admiral in his address be-
fore the engineers. He said that I'VE
must get away from steam generation
OF electricity in shipping, as 1t Is too
costly, and that the mos, necessary thing
to develop the American merchant
marine is to reduce the overhead.
I'VE must insist upon oil as fuel" he
said 1--WE cannot go back to coal burn
ers The United States has reached the
point where she must become a mer-
chant marine as we'll as naval and
military power. We need the merchant
marine to carry our commerce to foreign
shores, and II must be carried at the
least possible cost We hear much these
days of foreign competition and OF the
tremendous overhead of steamship op-
Grafton. We must reduce expenses
wherever possible"
The development OF an engine that
would eliminate the need of steam would
enabl steamship companies to reduce
the sizes Of their engine room crews and
thereby reduce the overhead materially.
he said.
1--WE must control freight rates" Ad-
mral Benson said. speaking as head OF
the Shipping Board. 1T Is absolutely
necessary. II we did not, American ex-
porters would not be able to sell their
products ON the other side. as the cost
would be prohibitive because of the
heavy freight rates"
Admiral Benson asserted the future OF
the American merchant marine lay in
the development of the motorship. He
said his confidence in the motorship was
so great that he sent the Eclipse to sea
under heavy criticism, but that reports
received lately from Singapore. where
the vessel has put in, fully justified the
faith he has placed in electrically pro-
PEELED vessels. He said IL has been his
opinion for years that the development
OF the merchant marine was basicaliy a
problem In engineering.
Development OF the methods OF load
ing and unloading vessels also would
reduce overhead, the Admiral declared
He told of one vessel which paid $4,000
TO unload recently in this port. 1T Is
impossible for ship owners to make any
money because of these tremendous
charges" he said.
my time in office may be short or
il may be long" he said in conclusion.
but these ideas are everlasting. whether
l shall go on after the fourth OF March
or not. We now have between 1000 and
1900 ships flying the American flag In
every port OF the world. We are doing
as we'll as the other fellow. We do not
want to monopolize. but while we are In
the game we want America to take the
lead and he ahead"