The sun., 1918-01-31

BOARD NAMED
TO SPEED WAR
p. S. \. Franklin Heads
Committee That Will Al.
locate Tonnage.
POWER TO BE ABSOLl TIE
Control Extends Over Passem-
ger as Well as Freight Ser
vice Overseas.
POWER TO BE ABSOLUTE

SpeC"H Despatch 10 THE StN.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 80. - appointment
Of n shipping control committee. headed
By p. \. S. Franklin. to allocate all OF
the available ship tonnage OF the United
water was announced by Chairman
Hurley to-day. The announcement FOL.
lowed a conference by Government rep
resentatives most vitally interested in
the shipping problem.
The power OF the committee will be
absolute in regard to all operations. and
the placing and disposal of ships at
every Atlantic port. IT will take steps
Immediately to relieve congestion at tho
port of New York by diversion OF trans
atlantic traffic to other ports.
Creation OF the committee with abso-
lutte powers to act means II practical
pooling OF tonnage. This course was de-
cided upon as necessary to get the ms NJ
mum efficiency from the ships now in
operation. and to avoid the port delays
that have hard a large share in Cripning
ocean transportation. 1t means a prac-
teal surrender to British views on the
allied conference and otherwise. Such a
drastic course had been opposed in this
country.
The committee will have as rs menu
bers to sit with Mr.. Franklin. II. II. Ray
mond. port controller at New York. and
Cunnop Guthrie, controller OF British
shipping.
Includes Passenger Control.
The committees c,uttol extends over
passenger as well as freight service. I.
will place in operation the Guthrie plan
% bringing ships and cargoes together.
Mr. Guthcrie worked this plan out for
tie movement OF British supplies .,s
ship apDroa ched a given port her cargo
vas moved toward that port with a suf-
EreNt allowance Of time TO cbviatn any
delay at the ship. tnd.r this scheme
british supplies lav. been i;cpt moving
and much of the tonnage has been going
out OF Southern ports.
Under II the various ports will not lie
tied UP with riiiroad congestion SINH
lar To that vnich has backed NJ from
/. the port sf New oYrk to the Aississippi
River.
because OF its preemincn, port facii-
ties as much Coinage as possible Will lie
moved through New York. Philadelphia
and Baltimore are 10 h. developed To
greater extent, but Southern ports Will
come into traffic undreamed Of
Cotton ard other supplies viii no
longer lie ,ammed through "the neck OF
the bottle TO ship side at New York.
piling up AMI snothering the docks. 1t
, will he moved by rail from points inland
as far as Memphis to Charleston. Sa-
vannah AID Brunswick. and there
shipped 10 New I.ne'ard mills by water
or loaded for export,
All other commodities that can he
moved through the southern ports will
he routed that way. Raj. transportation
and ship transportation viii be ct,,idi-
mated. British ships. Il was stated to-
day. are moving careoes from points
wei UP the M!ssss!i1pi River to avoid
the freight jam and congestion at New
York.
Barth.ng and bunkerage FOR incoming
ships will be arranged before the ar
rivals. and cargoes will be waiting If the
committees plans do not miscarry. Tn
der the old systems ships have been tied
UP awaiting all of these things II has
been n common occurrence for a British
ship coming to Baltimore. for instance,
20 have to lie in the upper Garhor be-
! cause every dock was filled by War De-
partmant and Shipping Board vessels or
/ IuT u "uipplHk Eo"iu HrSS'i ~ wall illie
British and War Department ships were
cleared away.
i Those Who Attended Conference.
Operations OF the committee will not
I Interfere with or overlap those OF the
office OF Edward +. Carry. director of op-
erations of the shipping Board. He
/ viii cont,nUc to operate the ships. fix
/ rates and perform It's other duties. but
/ the placing Of the ships a. various ports
will he done Il ythe comm.tec.
/ The service Of Mr.. Guthrie is cont.n-
gent upon approval by the British GOV
ernment.
, Placing of absolute control in The
! hands OF this committee was agreed
upon hy the conference. The War De-
partment has not yet given it's formal
approval, but Chairman Hurley stated
there was no doubt that the War De-
partment would come In and make the
transport service subject to the COM
mittee's action.
The conference was attended by Judge
f. w. Chambers representing Director
/ General McAdoo Major Lilly. represent
ing the War Department: Major ]. A.
Coats Of the army. Edward Gay OF the
Shipping Board. Edward Garry. director
Of operations Of the Shipping Board
Commander Belknap Of the navy. y. H
Raymond. ship controller In New York
f. C. Chamberlain OF the Shipping
Board, =. A. 8. Franklin. Cunnop
Guthrie and T.. NJ. Raeburn. represent
Ing the British interests. and Sir Rich.