The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-04-30
WHAT'S WRONG WITH ADMIRAL
w. S. BENTON, AS CHAIRMAN
OF THE SHIPPING BOARD?


OF THE SHIPPING BOARD?
Is il that nearly half a century's
service TO ones country units him,
while still a powerful force as a mar
inc authority and executive, to con-
tinue his splendid work?
Is it because somebody said Benson
told him Don't let the British pull
the wool over your eyes?"
Or is it because Admiral Benson in
sisfs that our merchant marine be
second to none and hundred per cent.
American?
What's wrong with this able, honest
"sea dog" that units him in the eyes
of the little clique who assume to
make and unmake administrations?
The men who warned President
Wilson against Admiral Benson now
come forward to warn President
Harding that Admiral Benson's ap-
pointment was mistake. Is it tina.
being blunt, outspoken, fearless with
out blemish on his official record of
half a century in every branch of sea
service makes Admiral Benson unfit?
Let's see what mis- record is: Born in
the south. native of Georgia, at the
age of seventeen practically the first
lad out of that war stricken land,
Benson entered the service of re-
united people.
At the naval academy his record
stamped him early as a youth of
courage, conviction, and poise. Since
he became chairman of the shipping
board not a day has he lost from his
work Although carrying for fourteen
months the greatest responsibility i'll
shipping in the history of the world,
| he has directed the business of our
ships and shipping ably and Well,
while peanut politicians, marine prof.
teers, land Americans" have sought
| to detract from his splendid work.
! They have made a monstrous mistake.
! Assuming. as they have, that Ameri-
can marine activities coulds be
i discouraged-these exploiters of the
public have set the wheels going TO
destroy confidence in Admiral Benson
and our marine. But Admiral Benson
| has met them at every move. Each
defeat of theirs has added to the chorus
/ of protest against this man, who does
not recognize their TRADES or their
manufactured opposition.
| Today these same men point to this
opposition that they themselves have
created as evidence that Admiral Ben
son has not made good. Benson is no
business man. they loudly acclaim
without qualification. Then the chorus
receiving the cue, sings, I'VE need a
business man at the head of the ship
ping board, and the song is carried.
| Admiral Benson is a business man,
and a very able one, with qualifica-
lions besides the business man does
not usually possess. But he is not
their kind of business man because
he cannot be made any mans tool.
| Well, again, let's see the record:
Profiteering coal spectators last year
| forced bunker coal to cost in open
market $3.50 a ton at tidewater. Ad-
miral Benson tried to prevail upon the
! men he thought responsible for this
condition to change it. He used the
appeal Please, and then finally TO
cussed public opinion on these profit
| teers by going to the department of
/ Justice and the interstate commerce
commission. presenting these two gov
eminent agencies the facts in the case.
| Although indictments were found I'M
Ger the last administration, they We're
auashed before any relief could come
| from such legal action. Undaunted
by this, Benson kept hammering away
In public and private until others took
| up the cudgels. A senate investiga.
ton began. Meanwhile the coal spec
ulators seeing the. handwriting on the
wall began taking stock of things.
Bunker coal at tide-water took a tum
BILE in price. 1t dropped to less than
half what it was when Benson began
his fight against this form of milking
the American public and squeezing the
American marine into still more diff
ficult economic position. More than
a million dollars was saved by this sea
dogs tenacious way of holding on to
things that are right. This policy and
practice of protection of the public
treasury and the marine by Admiral
Benson, is overlooked when men say
he is not a business man. He is the
sort of business man the country
needs at the head of the shipping
board
With coal, so with oil. Admiral
Benson cut the high price of oil and
did 1t only after the stiffest kind of
a fight. Naturally some of our oil
speculators are disgruntled. But again
his action saved taxpayers millions of
dollars The coal and oil bill of our
merchant marine runs about s50,000,
coo year and it needs close watch
ing.
Readers are familiar with the strong
fight so successfully waged to bring
about a reasonable readjustment of
repair costs. Commander Gatewood,
backed by the shipping board and with
Admiral Benson solidly behind him in
every move he made. has cut to the
bone the costs in ship repairs on ship
ping board vessels. 1t is conserva-
lively estimated that a saving of more
than s20.oo0,00o annually is the re-
suit Does this evidence business sense
and capacity, or something else?
What Admiral Benson did in cutting |
the cost of ship repairs he is now
trying to do in the matter Of proper |
labor costs adjustments. Right now
Admiral Benson is sitting on vol |
cano. His insistence that union men