New-York tribune., 1921-03-03
Single Head
Urged for Fleet
Corporation
Walsh Committee Tells
House Board of Seven
Should Be Abolished
for One-NIan Control
Waste. Inefficiency Found
c. M. Schwab and Wilson'S
Brother-in-Law Exoner-
ated of All Charges
Frev, The Tr,bune's Washington sureau

I
WASHINGTON, March 2.-One per-
.on should have control OF the govern
mcnts Shipping Board Emergency
Flee. Corporation instead OF board OF
seven members, as at present. This is
the chief recommendation made by the
Walsh committee in its report, which
was presented to the House tonight
and which covered its eighteen months
Investigation of the board during and
since the war.
While conderning the waste. inefi
cheney and lack OF coordination in the
tremendous operations OF the govern
uent agency, the report asserts that,
considering the program as a whole, it
has attained the most remarkab bic
achievement in shipbuilding the world
has ever known
The report dealt with the exouera-
tions OF Charles NJ. Schwab and r. W.
Boiling, brother-ln-law OF President
Wilson. OF charges brought before the
committee. In reviewing these cases
the report said that the charge that
Mr. Schwah had been reimbursed by
the government for personal expenses
while he was director general of the
Emergency Fleet Corporation had not
been proved and was not true The
report said that the charge against
M Boiling Of Irregularity in his con-
duet Of the office of treasurer of the
corporation was not true and that Mr.
Boiling had not been guilty OF any
srougdoire, whatsoever.
Waste and lnefficiency
TIE report says in part:
There have been waste and lnefi-
cheney and lack Of coordination in the
tremendous operations OF this govern
uent agency. The reason, or justifi-
cation, gven for this IS the stress
under the war emergency. No one
vii deny that there was great
emergency and that time was the most
vital factor
1T IS apparent. however. from the
that IN the desire to speed up and &C
complish results without counting
costs, mistakes OF judgment. lack of
supervision and a failure 10 give care
ful consideration resulted not in r
saving of time, but in delays. Con-
sidering the program as q whole. the
accomplishments in the number OF
ships constructed. the tonnage Sc
cured, and the time within which the
ships we're completed and delivered,
constitute the most remarkable
achievement in shipbuildins that the
world has ever seen.
Tho committee received testimony
rom those familiar with the needs OF
Shipping and also those having had eX-
pcrIence in the administration of the
departments that American ship opera
tors are handicapped by requirements
of existing laws.
Opposes Board of Seven
III IS the judgment of the commit
tee that the shipping requirements OF
the nation cannot be best administered
through board Of seven members, and
vhle there may be some parallel along
regulatory lines between the Shipping
Beard and the Interstate Commerce
Commission i IS the view of the COM
n-;tee that what IS needed Is more
Capitalization of administrative au-
tlority than can be had by a large
hoard l rtIl this tremendous feet is
disposed Of a competent person Of ex-
perience should be placed in charge
Of the operations and salary com
mensurate with tse esponsibihty of
TINS position shouN be paid.