Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-04
WOULD GIVE WILSON
CONTROL OF ALL SHIPS
Bills Provide Wide Powers for
President Over Sea
Facilities

washington, April
Two bills, introduced by Senator
Fletcher, of Florida. chairman of tbe
commerce committee, following confer
ehces with Chairman Hurley. Of the
/ shippinE board, provide vast extension
OF Federal powers over shipbuilding
/ ships, shipping rates docks and terni-
1 nails
! The President would be authorized by
/ the legislation to prescribe through the
shipping board charter and freight rates
and 70 take over ships, docks, wharves
and terminal facilities in one bill, and
the second measure, amending the law
creating the shipping board, would ex-
tend its authority over ownership and
transfer of vessels, existing or under
| construction Both bills have been re-.
terred to the commerce committee
/ In explaining the new legislation TO-
day Senator Fletcher said the shipping
board had discovered and thwarted at
| tempts Of German capital to secure
| control Of vessels owned or under con-
I struCtion IN the United States for prec-
ent profit as well as to provide Ger
many with a merchant fleet after the
war. To enlarge the powers of the
/ board to deal with such attempts IS one
OF the chief purposes of the proposed
laws.
Authority over Charters
BESIDES authorizing the President to
prescribe rates terms and conditions
under which American vessels may be
| chartered one of the bills would author
| ize him to dsapprove existing charters.
prohibit Chartering of any specified
class Of vessels; prescribe freight rates
for American vessels, Coastwise or
ocean going to prescribe in any United
States port rates, charges and terms
for dockage, wharfage. .stevedoring
handling and bunkering of vessels" and
rentals Of docks and terminal facilities
II also would empower him to prescribe
priority of wharfage service priority in
which Cargoes may be carried and di-
rect the routing of American vessels or
foreign ships under charter 10 Ameri-
can citizens
Another clause of the bill would en-
power the President to regulate "vov-
ages courses and use of protective de-
vices and other matters affecting nav-
cation, equipment. fuelng, painting and
arming" of American vessels and to ey-
clude vessels from danger zones.
Would Affect Private Citizens
American citizens and others within
American jurisdiction would be pro
hibted from chartering any foreign ves-
!
to import or export goods exceeding
1000 tons in. weight on terms requiring
the seller and buyer respectively, to pay
transportation costs
The Presidents power under the bill
would be limited to six months after the
war or. if he should deem shippinG
shortage warranted, for an additiona
year. Heavy penalGes-fve years i'm
prisonment and $4,000 flne-are pro
posed for violation of the Presidents reg
ulations
The second Fletcher bill. relating t.
ownership of vessels, would penalize
during the war sale, transfer, lease o
charter Of vessels owned in whole o
part BY American citizens without ap
proval of the shipping board. It ais
provides that all ship construction con
tracts must receive the boards approva
and prohibits clearance of American
built vessels without its consent Trans
fer of shares of stock IN shipping con
! Germs also would be subject to tn
|, boards censorship. Senator Fletche
said this provision especially was de
. signed to prevent German capital fror
securing interest in American ships
Construction of three additional con
, crete ships of 1900 tons has been au
! thoriyed by the United states shippln
I hoard and it is announced that OF
Ncials intend to change radically II
policy toward small-ship construction
Vessels of steel. wood and cohcret
contracted for from now on VIII be a
, above the S5O0-ton class, as II has pee
found that small vessels are not IN
ones that will give the best results tror
u an economical operation standpoint.
, Orders have been sent to some con
structors on the Great Lakes to chang
= their specification to permit the CON
: pletion of 5OOO-ton vessels, as the all
of the shipping board and the Emel
gency Fleet Corporation from now
will be tonnage.
The new concrete ships authorized II
crease the tonnage of this sort under cor
? struction to 900 tons Three S5O0-to
concrete ships are now being built
yards in Georgia, Florida and Californii
It One 75O0-ton vessel is nearing compile
ton at San Francisco where the ne'
tonnage also will be built All of thi
work is contracted for on tinancif
basis of fifty-hfty between the builder
T. and the Government