o use every means in their power to supply the Allies with food.
But America had for many years neglected to give encouragement to her
merchant fleets. Her commerce was very largely carried in foreign
bottoms.

Ships were needed, and needed urgently, and one of the very first acts
of the American Government was to authorize their production. Congress
therefore appropriated for this purpose what was then the extraordinary
sum of $1,135,000,000 and General Goethals, recently returned from his
work in building the Panama Canal, was appointed manager of the
Emergency Fleet Corporation and entrusted with the execution of the
government's ship-building program.

The Emergency Fleet Corporation, however, was then independent of the
United States Shipping Board, of which Mr. William Denman was made
chairman, and friction between General Goethals and Mr. Denman at the
very start caused long delay. The difference of opinion between them
arose over the comparative merits of wooden and steel ships. The matter
was finally laid before President Wilson and ended in the resignation of
both men and the complete reorganization of the board and the Fleet
Corporation, in which reorganization the Fleet Corporation was made
subordinate to the Shipping Board but given entire control of
construction.

Rear-Admiral Capps succeeded General Goethals, but was compelled to
resign on account of ill health. Rear-Admiral Harris, who had been chief
of the Navy's Bureau of Yards and Docks, then had the job for two weeks,
but resigned because in his opinion he had not enough authority. Then
came Mr. Charles Piez, who held the position for a longer period. Mr.
Edward N. Hurley had been made chairman of the United States Shipping
Board, and under the direction of these two men much progress was made.

In the spring of 1918 the boards themselves were not satisfied with
their progress, and on April 16, 1918, Mr. Charles M. Schwab, chairman
of the Board of Directors of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, was made
Director General of the Emergency Fleet Corporation. Mr. Schwab was one
of the most prominent business men in the United States and one of the
best known, and his appointment was received all over the country with
the greatest satisfaction. His wonderful work in building up the
Bethlehem steel plant not only showed his great ability, but especially
fitted him for a task in which the steel industry bore such a vital
part. The official statement issue