The Washington times., 1923-05-01
COCKTAILS SAYS
MORSE BUILT
GOOD SHIPS
Former Manager of Shipping
Board Tells Of Its
Organization.


shipbuilder was good, according to
Gen. George w. Goethals, Of Pana'
ma Canal fame, who this morning
testified as to his knowledge, while
general manager of the Shipping
Board, of transactions with regard
to the building Of ships for war
purposes.
Had you known Morse previous
to your becoming connected with
the Emergency Fleet Corporation
and the Shipping Board?" was
asked by Judge Nash lockwood,
of counsel for the defense. Gen.
eral Cocktails replied that he had
not, but that he met him after
ward.
did you know in your official
capacity as to the character of
ships built by Morse?"
Had Built Good Ships.
II knew he had been and was a
shipbuilder and I had heard about
the ships he had built. He had
built good ships"
General Cocktails, asked whether
the Government financed shipyards
in various parts of the country,
replied in the affirmative. On OBJ
lection by the Assistant Attorney
General. the question and answer
were stricken out. Attorney Rock
wood noted an exception.
There was also objection to a
question as to the witnesses knowl-
edge regarding the "embarrass-
ment" which resulted to the Ship
ping Board from it's agent, Eads
Johnson, and another in awarding
contracts for the building of ships.
Had Organization Task.
General Goethals said that when
he came to the Shipping Board in
April, 1917, there was no organiza-
ton, no officers, and no definite
plan. He said he understood he
had been secured as general man.
ager and that he was to organize
the Emergency Fleet Corporation,
which he said was done under the
laws of the District of Columbia,
with capital Of $50,OO0,OOO. Wit
ness declared that the functions of
the Fleet Corporation were distinct
from those of the Shipping Board;
that the latter concerned itself
with the fixing of rates, while the
former had to do with the actual
shipping and building program.
Among those in charge of the diff
ferent departments General Goe-
thals mentioned Joseph Cotton,
partner of William G.. McAdoo, in
the law business in New York,
legal adviser; Samuel M. Fuller, in
charge of the contract department;
Admiral H. H. Rousseau; Major
Robert e. Wood and a Mr.. Brown.
''They had nothing when 1 came
to Washington" said General
Cocktails, referring to the Shipping
Board and Fleet Corporation, stat
ing that he brought together the
organization. They had headquar-
tiers in the Munsey building and
branches in Seattle, Wash, New
Orleans, Jacksonville, Fla, Charles
ton, S. c., Beaumont, Tex, and
other places, and also had agents in
Newport News, New York, and
elsewhere.
Fund for Wooden Ships.
1--WE started from nothing and
we had grown quite extensively
when / left" said General Goethals.
There was made available an ap.
preparation of $50,000,000 to build
wooden ships.
There were Every few available
yards in the United States at that
time to build wooden ships, accord
ing to Cocktails, and the capacity of
those in existence was Every small"
It was necessary, he said, to create
yards to carry out the shipbuilding
program.
Attorney Wilton J. Lambert of
counsel for the defense informed
the court that it would be desirable
to have the testimony Of General
Goethals in the shape of a deposit
ton which could be used later on
in the trial if advisable and permit
General Cocktails to proceed on an
official tour which would take him
from Washington for some time.
Claims Jurors Not Qualified.
When court convened Attorney
Wilton J. Lambert suggested to the
court that he would file motion
to dismiss the jury on the ground
that one or more Of the jurors were
not qualified to sit in the case in
not being legal residents of Wash
ington and other reasons. Justice
Stafford asked Mr.. Lambert to sub
NIT to him all the affidavits and
matter and that the question as to
whether permission be granted to
file the motion would be argued to-