Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-20
RELEASED BY GREAT BRITAIN.
Two Inman Liners to lie Admitted to Amer.
lean Registry.

Two Inman Liners to BE Admitted to Amer.
lean Registry.
Clement A. Griscom, president of the Inter-
national Navigation Company, it is announced,
has completed negotiations with the British
government whereby the steamships City OF
New York and City of Paris are released by that
government from all contracts under which
they were held liable for service in the auxiliary
navy of Great Britain in the event of war and
were compelled to fly the English flag, remain
under an English register and be officered and
manned by a British crew. These steamers
will be Immediately admitted to American reg.
lister and will hereafter fly the American flag.
They will be differed and manned BY Ameri.
cans and will be practically American ships.
In compliance with the terms of this act,
double the foreign-built tonnage admitted to
American register must be built by the owner
or owners of such foreign-built ships in Ameri.
can shipyards, and, upon Mr.. Griscom's return
the details Of plans for four American-buil,
ships of the same tonnage and power as the
New York and Paris and greater speed will be
completed, and o contract entered into between
the international Navigation Company and the
shipbuilding firm of William Cramp & Sons for
the building Of the ships.
Err. aRIscoM's MISSION.
1t is expected that Mr.. Griscom will return to
the United States early in August. He went to
England for the purpose of securing the abro-
CATION of the contracts between his company
and the British government early in the sum-
mer, and 1t was learned yesterday from a gen.
tleman actively interested in the international
Navigation Company that by the payment of a
large sum of money-just how much he was not
prepared to state-that the contracts had been
abrogated and the company is now at liberty,
as soon as the ships arrive in an American port
of entry, to have them measured for tonnage
and given an official number and registry papers
by the customs authorities at that port After
this has been done. under the general naviga-
ton laws of the United States, the ships must
be Offered by American citizens and fly the
American flag.
WHAT REGISTRY MEANS.
"Registry" bears precisely the same relations
to a vessel as a passport does to the individual
citizen who desires to travel from his country.
1t places the vessel under the protection of the
country which issues it. The effect of the re-
cent granting Of registry is to afford greater
protection to the Inman line in its property in
these two ships. Under their British registry
they belong to the English naval reserve and
may at any time be impressed into service as
armed cruisers in the event of war England
is much more liable to become involved in a
war than is the United States. and the benefit
derived by the company under this special act
of Congress, for the passage Of which it obi
gates itself to build in this country two ships
similar to the ones in question, is that they will
have the protection Of the American flag and
secure immunity from impressment except by
the United States.
BENEFIT TO THE UNITED STATES
The corresponding benefit to the United
States is the addition to its shipping of four Of
the finest steamships afoat, two of which will
be built here, and the addition of these vessels
to the governments available naval force in the
event of war with foreign nation. There is no
doubt it will act as spur to the shipping in
dustry. 1t will have some effect upon labor.
The Inman company ia now compelled to have
its repairing done in Liverpool, which, under
British registry, is the home port of these YES
sells, but under American registry this work
will have to be done in New York