Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-08-31
Scores of United Fruit Com
pany and international Mer-
camille Marine Available
IBy Latest NALL

10y l-dlSoI Ndh'J
WASHINGTON, d. C.-Hundreds oil
ships now owned by Americans can
be changed from foreign to American
register, even If there are no changes
in the laws. They are now operating
under foreign flags because it is more
profitable, but when foreign-flag ship
ping is driven from the ocean it will
be more profitable to fly the American
flag and comply with the expense
producing laws than to do no business
at all. :....~-.
Such is the contention of govern
ment officials, who add that Ameri-
cans own the fleet of the International
Mercantile Marine and the United
Fruit Company, which number close
to, Ii not altogether, 400 ships. Not
all could be put into the transatlantic
trade, but when the demand for Am
erican products in Europe becomes
acute many of them can be taken from
their present routes. and employed in
the more profitable traffic, on which
insurance will be carried by the for
eigners
The United Fruit Company controls
the Tropical Fruit Steamship Compa-
ny, British corporation. The last
mentioned owned the ships used by
the United Fruit Company in the ba-
mana trade between Central America
and the United States and between
Central America and Europe.
The United also has some ships
which fly the American flag. and it
also controls some which sail under
the colors of Denmark. Probably all
could be placed under the American
flag without any change in the laws,
the government holds.
Change Long Considered.
For the last three years the United
Fruit Company has been considering
the change of flags. A little more
than a year ago it seemed to be on
the point of placing SO or so of it's
ships under American registry. Tt
was deferred, its officers told the
House Committee investigating the
shipping trust" by fear that an at
tempt would be made to. punish the
under the antitrust laws
for its participation in conferences
with other steamship lines in the max /
ng of rates. division of territory and
,ther arrangements, which might be |
1eened restraint of trade.
Virtually ali the fruit company ships
ire more than five years old The
British corporation holding title to
hem is controlled absolutely by the
American corporation known as the
United Fruit Company. For the
Tropical Fruit Steamship Company to
Iell its property to the United Fruit I
Company would be no more serious.
IS business operation, than that of
aking money from one pocket and
,lacing it in another, it is argued.
That part of the law which saysl
hat no foreign-built ship less than
i've years old shall be eligible to Am
'rican registry would not bar many,
T any, of the banana ships from the
light of flying the American flag. |
The intimation from London that
treat Britain would regard the trans.i
er of the yaterland, the Imperator
nd other German ships to an Ameri.
an company as subterfuge could
Ut nave HUGH clicCI upOl d lEdHSIST1
Il the fruit company steamers to AMI
american company 1t is notorious
nat the fruit steamers are American
n everything except name. Ameri-
ans ordered them in British ship
ards and American dollars. supplied
through the agency of a British cor.
Grafton. paid for them, it is asserted.
iorgan Organized Them.
With regard to ships of the Inter
ational Mercantile Marine the case is
omewhat different j. P. Morgan or
anized the corporation, but there is
1uch foreign capital in it. Whether
ransfer of its property to an Ameri-
an corporation would be a subter-
uge, it is believed here, would depend
argely upon the character of theI
needed to bring about
he change in title.
Americans have no known interest