New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-23
Redheld Tells Foreign
Trade Convention
About Offer.
STATEMENT MADE IN
REPLY TO J. J. HILL
Railroad Man Contended vii.
sons Purchase Bill, II Passed.
Meant Disaster.

shipping bin drew forth a reply from
William c. Redfeld, Secretary Of Com
meree, in defence OF the plan % gov
eminent owned steamships, in which he
said England offered 10 sell ships 10
this country. Welding Ring, shipper
and ship owner, also took part in the
discussion.
American cost Of ship construction"
said Mr.. Hill. els from so to 100 per
cent higher than abroad, and. according
70 a reported statement Of Captain
Robert Dollar who operated ships in
both domestic and foreign trade, It
costs about Sl7,236 more year 20
operate ship Of 5000 tons under the
American than under the British flag.
These are the disadvantages under
which our foreign trade labors.
here are but two resources one, q
merchant marine owned and operated
hy the government; the other, a mer-
chant marine provided by and for the
people. The former. just now urgently
advocated, is sn unwise-snd would be
certainly disastrous experiment.
Aside from the complications, almost
the European conflict, owing 10 the un-
certain and conflicting claims Of ma
tlonal neutrality, this policy would be
followed by the total destruction of the
private shipping interest. Private en-
tcrprise cannot possibly compete with
q government which pays no interest
on the cost Of its ships and throws
aside consideration of profit and loss.
Priticb Cbtno 10
"The Panama Railway is entirely
owned and operated by the United
States We have its official report for
the yesr ended June 80, 1913. TO be com
pared with the statistics of all the rail-
ways Of the United States for the same
period. The rate on the Panama line
.126S % a cent for all the railways OF
the United States. That is, the gov
eminent rate was almost five times the
rate made by private enterprise over
the entire country"
What does it mean" asked Secre-
tary Redfeld, "to speak of the compli-
cations almost certain 70 drag us
sooner or later into the European con-
fict? Il has been advertised all over
America that there would be trouble
if the government bought German
ships. ! have here an offer to sell the
government twelve large English ships,
available Immediately. Did anybody
raise the question that there would
be international complications if we
bought these English ships? We have
had offers 20 sell the government
French ships, available Immediately.
Has anybody raised the question Of in
ternational complications if we buy the
French ships?
81 gave to a merchant in Louisville
yesterday a letter from the English
Ambassador saying there was no OBJ
lection TO his purchasing German
ship TO be used in the South American
trade. Why have we here in America
so much the habit Of criticising first
and getting the facts next? Why has
not somebody asked Of me 3 single
question as 20 the truth in these mat
ters before body after body has pub
lished statements which are full Of
dreams?
Last week we could get English
sbips Immediately buy them by cable.
l have the propositioos here now. !
am getting weary of being told not to
do certain things which we never
thought Of doing.
Talks Of Jail for Ship Men.
"Extortion in closing American fac
tories to-day and causing cable stop
orders at the time of our biggest OPP
portunity; the cynical violation Of writ
Ton contracts by shipping companies
makes the robber Of the Middle Ages
look like a public benefactOr. l have
the contracts in my hands, and ] nave
letters from the ship companies 10 the
SINNERS violating those contracts ana
raising shipping rates from 800 20 400
nor cent. In many cases the shipping
companies refuse 20 carry goods at H.
Shipping companies to-day are do
ing things that would put any railroad
man in Jail" Mr.. Redheld said.
1.-TWO groups of private interests
have asked that we hold up what we
n~onose 10 do, and when / have asked
tbem in return what they would do
cot silence only" Mr.. Redheld added
STbev come to me with prospectuses
If steamship companies, admirably
drawn. and the people are Of the high-
eat character and are sincere. Nhen
/ mt souarely to them THIS question:
.Wiul YOU operate line OF steamers
mat will take into primary consldera-
ton the interests OF american ooiii
Ice that will take into account all
- circun1stances Of the times. the
Iva cost arising from war risks inc
DELAYS and the extra Insurance they
say nothing. ,-,.l o. ..u ma
,ybcre he is going 70 get steamers 70
csryv csrgoes. am shipper; am
,1+eyestnd in steamship company;
ard + think ] know from practicsI
~ CO., Of view quite as well as Mr.. ked,
roid does from a theoretical point OF
,.ieyv " said Mr. Ring =
"AIr Redfeld says he Ano"s o.
..oaraers that can be bought. wiSn
~ I'D ba6 said chartered, because ! would
IKE ofFhand five steamers at the PR
e,t t,me and pay enormous rates 1ot
~, - iS could get them. cannot ge'
I'm Mr. Redheld says the govern
49, - can do II. VIII d ship owner SCI
nny more readily or charter any inObe
any diiy 20 the government than ne
,e~I TO an individual or 70 corpora
'lG Tb. convention closed this afternoon IrncSa
sfter hearing brief addresses oy ~ p
sas.. OF the American chambers
80 commerce in foreign lands.
Negroes to Honor Miss Dodge