The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-05-17
Fight to Get War Insurance
Restored to Sailing Ships,
from Southern Ports.
NEW POLICY HAS
HIT SHIPPING HARD
Argued That the Risk from
German Submarines is Not
Enough to Warrant 1t.
Washington Bureau,
Pensacola Journal.


from the gulf ports to Europe, espe-
cially in sailing vessels, seems to be
threatened with determination dur
ing the war through the withdrawal
by the war risk insurance bureau
of insurance on sailing vessels bound
for Europe and by the differential
charge on charters in favor Of the
North Atlantic ports by the Inter
Allied Shipping Commission.
This grave situation has been
brought to the attention of Senator
Duncan u. Fletcher, of Florida, and
accompanied by c. E. Dobson, former
president of the Pensacola Chamber
of Commerce, he called on Secretary
McAdoo to urge that the war risk in
surance on sailing vessels for Europe
be renewed.
Under ordinary conditions it would
be possible to nearly remedy this
condition by shipping goods from the
south to the North Atlantic seaboard
for shipment to Europe, but the car
shortage makes this alternative al
most out of the question.
The Inter Allied Shipping COM
mission, in order to conserve vessels,
has put conditions into effect tnat
" III dlIuuSb 1OEGE bIhuS-AkldUblC I'LL
ers to sail from North Atlantic ports.
Realizing the injurious effect the
situation will have on the industry
and trade of the south, Senator
Fletcher will gather a number Of
southern senators and congressman
together and again call on Secretary
McAdoo to impress him with the Sc
| robustness of the situation.
"There is. already an alarming
! shortage of vessels to carry merchan-
/ disc from gulf ports to Europe" said
| c. f. Dobson, former president Of
/ the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce,
| today "This shortage has been rem
! dered more acute by the refusal OF
] the war risk insurance bureau of the
/ treasury department to insure either
! hull or cargo of sailing vessels for
! the transatlantic trade between the
gulf and Europe since the middle of
/ April
"A great part of the tonnage avail
able for gulf European traffic is sail
and if there is no insurance available
for this class of vessels Iney cannot
be used and the gulf coast ports are
deprived of what has been almost
their only means of carriage to Eu-
rope, particularly for lumber ant
naval stores.
Senator Fletcher has taken the
matter up and is pressing vigorously
upon the secretary of the treasury
an appeal from the refusal Of the
war risk insurance bureau which is
under his jurisdiction. 1t viii be
urged upon the secretary that there
is already an acute shortage of steam.
ers for the gulf European trade OF
account of the policy of the Inter
Allie Commission for shipping in fin
ing the differential in rates from
gulf and North Atlantic ports to Eu
rOpean ports at much less than it
natural and normal difference, which
operates entirely in favor Of tn,
North Atlantic ports.
"If this decision not to insure sail
ing vessels is allowed to stand TIT
south will be almost entirely deprived
to means of shipping its products Il
Europe since the car shortage pre-
vents shipment to the Atlantic port
) where bottoms can be obtained.
!; THE south cannot blame the Inter
e Allied Shipping Commission, @
course, for an action dictated by
2 desire to make the most of decreasing
? tonnage by making it follow tn
shortest route from the United State
. to Europe, but it would seem tn
. United States Treasury Department
should not further increase he diff
culties of a situation which is alread
very detrimental to the south by re
fusing insurance on the class of yes
sells which are the chief means o
transportation available for its pro
ducts.
THE war risk insurance burea
argues that sailing vessels which ar
: naturally easy prey for the subma
/ rine, should not be sent on trans-At
a lantic voyage from which they hav
] small chance to return, but shout
be kept for the coastwise, island an
t South American traffic, while all Tn
steamers, which have some chance o
escaping the submarines, should b
/ released for the transatlantic trade
= While there is merit in this connec
l.. ton it does not relieve the soutl
2 which is almost entirely dependen
} under present condition on the sailinI
= vessels, and probably assumes TO
- great a percentage Of submarine los