The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-04-25
WOULD USE ALL
INTERNED SHIPS
Asks BeIIigerentS to Allow Them
TO Go Into Neutral Trade.
NO PAYMENT DURING WAR.

the Powers In Arms Privilege Of Rep
resentation on Board-Says South
America Is Unable TO Get Products.
II the belligerent governments of
Europe will agree to the plan offered
by B. N. Breitung Of E. N. Breitung
& Co. of New York the German and
Austrian merchant vessels now lying
idle In American ports will be put in
service between New York and South
American ports and other neutral coun-
tries. They will not carry contraband
of war. They will not carry food sup
plies to the warning armies.
If the belligerent governments so
desire each of them may be repre-
sented In the company which has been
formed to take these vessels over and
the fullest opportunity will be afford
ed the warning nations to determine
that every stipulation of the contract
proposed is being lived up to.
This country Is losing millions of
dollars a month in freight because
there are not ships to handle It, ac-
cording to Mr.. Breitung. They have
all been drawn off to engage in the
profitable business of carrying muni-
tions of war and other supplies to the
fighting countries.
Meat Imports Shut of.
'The South American trade has been
completely paralyzed. The cost of liv-
ing has been advancing due to the in
ability to secure goods from foreign
countries. There Is no meat coming
from Argentina and no hides from the
| South American ports" Mr.. Breitung
says.
while many men are making enor-
nous fortunes handling war supplies,
the great mass of business men of the
country are suffering. Railroads have
declared an embargo on freight be
cause it cannot be moved off the piers.
The situation is constantly getting
worse, and ocean freight rates have
advanced almost 1000 per cent. Steam
ships are making enough money on
one or two trips to pay for the cost
| of the boats, and the conditions have
become such that the man of business,
who has no war orders to build enor-
nous profits on, is being driven out Of
business.
"All this time there are more than
thirty big German and Austrian steam
ships lying idle in this port alone. In
other ports of the country there are
many more"
Seizure Of Dacia.
Mr.. Breitung bought the steamship
Dacia and, after consulting with the
authorities in Washington and being
assured of every protection, sent her
to Rotterdam, neutral port, with a
cargo not then classed as contraband,
She was seized by French cruiser,
her cargo taken and the vessel con-
demned. She was put in the French
service and was later sunk by a Ger
man submarine. Mr.. Breitung is out
his vessel and her cargo. When the
war is over he hopes to be paid for
| both
Now he wants to take over the in
termed vessels, but he wants an agree
ment with the European powers first.
Money Is Available. ~
MY position was that the interned
ships of the belligerent nations should
be rented to corporation or syndicate.
l am in position to get the money for
such corporation or syndicate provided
We can get the right terms for the
lease, with the understanding that pay
ment is to be made in such way that
the belligerents will not be able to use
this income for furthering the war.
"Any other safeguards that might be
demanded would be given. These ships
would carry noncontraband goods to
all countries where the several belliger-
ent nations might agree they could be
taken
"At the present time the price of coal
in Italy and France is prohibitive
England will soon be suffering from a
shortage of foodstuffs,
"'rhe trade with the South American
countries is dead. How is the United
States to care for it? We have been
wonderfully prosperous in this country
so far because of the war Now we
are going to suffer. The lack of vessels
to carry our products is going to affeci
us most seriously from now on. 1t will
continually get worse"
Mr.. Breitungs proposal has already
been put up to the authorities at Wash
ington and to the powers at war. Whilt
no definite answer has yet been giveI
him, he believes an agreement will bt
reached. The owners of the interne(
vessels will. of course, be only too glaC
to get their ships in operation. ever
though they receive no profits from tn,
operation until six months after the
close of the war
Lord Robert Cecil has expressed
himself as favorable to some plan which
would release these vessels, the British
government being convinced that II
they were released 1t would mean NOR,
vessels for the munitions carrying
trade, as other ships now in trade witt
neutral countries could be withdrawn
Even the necessities OF war cannot
wholly halt the ocean carrying trade
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