The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-24
LINE E
GERMAN VESSELS HERE
Sweden-American Co. Had A. Palmer Mitchell See
Wilson-He Denies That He Is IN. P" Mentioned
in Secret Teutonic Report.

With the announcement yesterday OF
the foramtion Of the Sweden-American
Line. to carry on passenger traffic be-
tween this country and neutral Euro
pcan ports. chiefly Swedish. the ques-
ton was asked whether hat new cor
poration was not the one limited at In
the mysterious document printed in the
World and THE L yesterday in regard
to the visit OF IA prominent American
citizen to the White House.
The document, written by Legal
Agent Levy" and John Simon, said that
the President was approached with re-
gard to an American syndicate mat
wished to buy up cotton for Germany.
Following that publication Representa-
tive A. Mitchell Palmer of Pennsylvania
denied that he was the mysterious M.
p" referred to. but he admitted that he
called on President Wilson at the re-
quest of John b. Stanchfeld of Stanch-
field & Levy to convey to him informa-
ton regarding the formation of a steam
ship line by prominent American citl-
ZtfS reSlulns III -NtW ipih '""' W"
carry non-contraband to Europe
Mr.. S~tanchfeld refused to discuss
Representative Palmer's statement or
even have It read TO him.
But IL was admitted hat the Swedish
Government was Interested in "A plan for
the purchase OF a number OF ships
owned by German lines and now held in
American ports as a result of the war
From Amsterdam anne a cable message
to the effect thai negotiations were being
carried on in Berlin with the aim OF
buying the ships and that II company
with a capital OF s2.500,00 had been
~organized,
Seek Hamburg Line Shipn.
Hans Lagerof, president Of the Scandi-
nayian-American Trading Company. said
! that the Swedish American Company. of
! which he Is a New York representative.
IL e~ndeavoring to buy several of the
/ Hamburg American Lines big cargo car
riers for service between this country and
Gounenburg, Sweden. The ships which
are sought especially are the Pennsyl-
vania, Bulgaria and Bohemia.
Sweden needs bottoms on which 10
carry her trade with the United States
said Mr.. LAgerof. 1.-The Swedish-Ameri-
can Company vas started about two
years ago, before the war began, for this
purpose. Vessels were built for II In
England. but because of the war they
were never delivered but were turned to
other uses by the British. Sweden must
depend on only six Scandinavian vessels
for her entire American trade. This Is
not nearly enough. We want to buy
coal. We use 1000, 600 tons a year and
we are eager to get IL In this country II
delivery Is sure. with n fleet of Swedish
ships, under neutral registry, that would
h. possible"
He vas OF the opinion that Great
Britain would offer little opposition to
the change OF registry OF the German
ships, but said that those conducting
the negotiations are anxious to keer
them quiet lest II be thought that the
plan IL in any way intended to benefit
Germany by taking from her at "a good
price useless vessels.
I'VE do not forget the Dacia," he said
"but you must remember that she was
seized and sold for carrying cotton to q
belligerent. our ships will carry only
supplies for Sweden, a neutral country
The Sweden American Company Il
| understood to be largely subsidized By