New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-04
HOUSE PASSES BILL
TO INCREASE SHIPS
Senate to Act To-day on
Measure Admitting For
eign-BGilt Vessels.

eign-BGilt Vessels.
Washington, Aug. 3-The House
adopted to-day the administration bill
TO libcralize the registration laws 70
encourage the immediate registration
Of q sufficient number Of foreign-built
sEips to carry at least a part OF the
congested overseas traffic. This meas
ure has not been passed by the SEN
ate, but affirmative action is expected
tomorrow.
Although no member of the House
could give assurance that a modiiica-
ton Of the registration laws would
bring about the result desired, Mr..
Underwood and other sponsors for the
bill agreed upon by the President and
the majority leader, were optimistic
and asserted that Congress should take
steps to alleviate the shipping crisis
by encouraging American registration.
The bill valves the requirement that
foreign built vessels admitted to Amer
lean registry must be less than five
years old. IL also permits the Presl-
dent TO suspend the requirement that
such vessels must be manned by Amer
lean watch officers and shall be sur
veyed and measured by officers of this
country. American ownership OF such
vessels is not TO be waived, however.
Representative Payne said he was
afraid the bill would be regarded as
mere subterfuge 20 change the own
ership Of vessels for a purpose.
Suppose the countries under whose
flags these ships are now sailing do
not take kindly 10 this legislation?'
said Mr.. Payne. Suppose they seize
some of these ships, claiming they arc
ships really under the flags of their
enemies and not Of neutral country.
Are we 20 have a repetition of the lit
tie affair with Huerta and demand an
apology for the seizure?'
Many Ships Available.
Mr.. Underwood replied that tie
question of good faith of the sale
would predominant, and he knew OF
nothing in existing conventions TO pro-
hibit bona fide sales of ships of ole
nation 20 citizens Of another. Mr.
+ Campbell asked If the proposed plan
would be in contravention Of the Lon
don Convention of 1909-10, and Mr.
Underwood assured him il would
not.
Mr.. Underwood explained that the
bill meant not only the admitting OF
foreign ships 10 American registry but
the ships as well that are owned to-day
by American citizens and American
corporations. 1t would authorize
them, he said, TO fly the American
flag instead of a foreign flag.
81 have in my hand a letter received
to-day from the Bureau OF Navigation
of the Department Of Commerce." he
said, in which the fact is called to
my attention that the New York ard
Pacific Steamship Company, an Amer
lean corporation, has some dohel
ships under the British flag that have
a capacity Of 3i,144 net tons, and vet
there are only three of them that
could come in under the present law
because the remainder of them were
built more than five years ago.
"The United Fruit Company's YES
sells, owned by an American corpora
ton, flying the British flag, are nearly
two dozen in number, which could come
IN under this law il you pass il, but
not more than five or six Of them could
come IN If you do not pass it, because
their ships are over five years old.
They have a capacity of $4,000 net
tons.
THE Red Star Line is, understand
an American owned line now flying the
Belgian flag. OF course, that is a
neutral flag at this time, although no
body can predict what il will be a week
: or month from now. That line has
five large vessels, all Of them built
more than five years ago. with a ton
mage capacity Of nearly $4,000 net tons
that can come in under the American
flag if we pass this law. All of them
are owned by American citizens.
, Means $4,000 Tonnage.
"These ships alone would bring 70
our flag and TO our registry vessels
that day belong 10 American citizens
with a net tonnage of 232 900 tons. Sc
IL is futile 70 say that nothing will be
accomplished by this bill. Every bit
Of tonnage that we bring 10 the Ameri-
can flag will help in this emergency
/. But the contention is made that We
are going 10 violate the neutrality law
If we pass this bill. What are we about
10 do? We have already, two years
ago, passed q bill authorizing foreign
ships that were not over five years old
TO take American registry. This bill
merely wipes out the FIVE year limita-
ton and allows all foreign built vessels
70 take American registry, provided IN
both instances they are owned by
American citizens or corporations.
ave are merely passing law to-day
TO put our country on the same basis
as foreign countries. Can any Euro
pean country complain OF that? The
question of ownership is the real ques-
ton involved. We do not in this bill
change the question Of ownership one
iota. Every ship that takes American
registry must be owned by an Ameri-
can citizen or corporation. There
never has been any question from the
beginning of time that citizens OF one
country may not buy the ships af an
other country if the laws Of their couR-
try will permit
The S250,000 appropriated "for the
relief. protection and transportation TO
their homes" OF American citizens now
marooned in European war centres is
10 be disbursed solely under the dis
erection Of the President, md il is pro-
vided that the expenses of the govern
ment shall be reimbursed by the per-
sons aided II they are financially able
I TO do so.
Standard Buys No Oil.