The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-07
BRITISH AUXILIARY NAVY
TERMS OF AGREEMENT WITH THE
MERCANTILE MARINE COMPANY.
Vessels Of the International Line to
BE Subject to Requisition in
Time of War.

LONDON, Aug. 6.-The agreement of the
International Mercantile Marine Company
with the British Admiralty and the Board
of Trade is published in Parliamentary
paper tonight. 1t provides that the British
companies included in the combine shall
remain on footing of equality with other
British companies in respect to any mill
tary, naval or postal services that the Brit
ish government may require from the Brit
ish mercantile marine. No British ship in
the combine shall be transferred to for
eign registry without the consent Of the
president of the Board of Trade. The YES
sells shall continue to be officered by British
subjects. and carry the same proportion
of British sailors is prescribed in the
case of any other British ship engaged in
the same line of trade. The vessels shall
still be subject to hire or purchase by the
Admiralty on the same terms as existed
prior to the combination. At least a moiety
Of the tonnage built or acquired during the
existence of the agreement shall be regis
tered as British. Any company hereafter
taken into the combination shall be subject
to the same terms.
The British companies included in the
combine shall continue to be British COM
panies qualified to own British ships. and
at least a minority OF their directors snail
be British subjects. Nothing shall be done
to teOpardize the present British register,
or the right of a vessel to fly the British
flag. Any British company hereafter alb
sorbed by the combine shall be subject to
the conditions of the agreement, and the
combine shall advise the British govern
ment of any other lines of whatever ma
tionality they may be that may hereafter
be absorbed.
The agreement shall continue for twenty
years, dating from Sept. 22, 1902 and shall
be terminable thereafter at five years no.
tice on either side 1t is provided that the
British government has the right to ter
inmate the agreement at any time should
the combine pursue a policy injurious to the
interests of the British mercantile marine
or British trade. The Interna tional Mer-
camille Marine Company agrees that the
chairman of its British committee shall ac-
cept service on behalf Of the American COM
pany of any process or other document aris-
ing in connection with the agreement. The
lord high chancellor Is appointed referee
In any dispute arising out of the agreement
His decision in law and fact shall be final.
The agreement is signed by Gerald Bal
four for the Board of Trade: Admiral Lord
Kerr, senior naval lord. and Rear Admiral
May, third naval lord, for the Admiralty;
Sir Clinton Dawkins. on behalf of the In.
ternational Mercantile Marine Company and
by the directors OF the constituent compa-
MES.
The papers express satisfaction with the
agreement between the International Mer-
camille Marine Company and the British
Admiralty. saying that 1t fully protects Brit
ish interests. The Standard points out
that The Morgan combine has been indi.
rectly the means of strengthening Great
precipitating the Cunard agreement, and
thinks that the audacious enterprise OF
buying up British lines is not likely to be
repeated for some time.