Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-03
MANY SHIPS KEPT
FROM WAR USES
Nonesscntial Commerce Said to
Be Holding Vast
Tonnage.
BANANAS HELD A NECESSITY
Fruit Company Refuses Use Of
Its Steamers to Government
On Unique Plea.
BANANAS HELD A NECESSITY

WASHlNGTCN. May @.--s!i.pJ capable
lof carrying 1000 900 iona year TO
Europe are being hcId cat of the inter
Iaii!cd shipping program By interests
invol"cd ia noncsscntial ahipn' cnts
IWhilc cvc.% corner ct the "crid Is b.
IinE secured for vessels 20 carry the
frlillicns OF Americans 50 h"di% needed
I.n Europe anu pledged 20 the cause by
Secretary Baker ,o-day. II i. learned
That the Shipping Hoard H. having tie
greatest difficulty Ia securing ;ho cgan
| OF certain persons ana irHns.
The records % the Ship9!ns Epasj
3sLc.y:
i. ono large fyul: oompany refuses
10 !cni its steamers cause 1t CON
I,ends .hat its bananas ..cc IN essential
Item in American diet and thar injury
10 The BANANA industry VIII impair the
rciatlorA ot tho Misunderstanding ma
t'ons [" tho war !. aiso asks more
proposes to give.
.. other interests assert that tapi9ca
is an essential import because it is
used to flavor the muci!age Oh tho bacn
1of pcs,ag5 stamps.
3. no action has yc' been been Sc
= 1cured whereby 100000 tons o, ship.
ring now importing sugar could hc
Imadc available 10y cutting OF this
sugar from the candy Industry OF tho
United States.
:. An equal amount ~ shipping
might be availAbic il certain interests
could he induced 70 discontinue th"
import of rice from Japan. i'm yIcw o'
the fac, that The United Sta,ca !tsel:
raises more rice than is used hero.
high postal onicial is declared 70
Rhavc insisted or the necessity of taploca
Ito flavor postage stamps
ALI. PLEDGE SHIPS SHALL
BE USED IN COMMON CAUSE
These facts we're developed to-day In
the face OF unanimous pledge ty
Ithc representatives OF Italy, France
IEngland and tho United states tina,
| lthc shipping OF the world would be-
Iuscd for the common cause. Th!s
2pledSc was given at the meeting OF the
liuteraliied economic council just ended
I'm Paris. The United States WAS rep
Presented by Il. Il. steven Of the Slip
fp!ng Board SIR Rchcr, Gil re are
Tented England. Ministers ClcmcE,el
and Louchcur represented France. Pre-
5mier Orlando and Minister Crispi spoke
flor italy. Evcty.hinE but the feeding
lof belgium and the Invading sections.
tt was decided, must give way 10 troop
movements.
The decision represents q heroic sac
[rihcc on the part OF both Italy and
France. according 10 Information re-
fceivcd here. ltaIy's food stores arc
again critically low. Despite this. she
klas turned over all available vessels to
lthe cause. II is denied In Italian quai-
|sers that any vessels arc being held
fsdle or that. a has been charged
f"heat or macaroni is shipped 10 Italy.
manufactured ana returned here. The
kranufacturc OF EIacaroni in Italy. il
hs stated. las lous been forbidden
Both England and France have al
'eady turned over every available ves-
f,lel for the transpor, OF troops
/, The fruit company which dcn1urs to
The communicating OF is vessels MAIN
tans large number. None Of t,s vcs.
fsos has been rcuusi:ioncd here as yet,
But recently General PcrshIng. finding
two of them IN port, whittier they had
carried fruit, promptly took them over
Ind put them in the service OF tho
l,Unitcd States.