The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-05-17

of the administration to give the Ger
man lntrlguers the slightest loophole
for furthering their interests.
Yards under jurisdiction of the emer
gency fleet corporation-and they in
clude practically every yard of impor-
tance i'll the country-will not he uer-
mitted to consider the acceptance of
other than government contracts. at
least until it is known that all of
America s needs are provided for and
that offers which have been made by
brokers bear no pro-German faint.
This policy is not aimed at anv neu-
trail or allied nation, and applications
by these countries for permission TO lot
contracts for ships to be constructed
later VIII receive every consideration.
In carrying forward the program the
otflclals have at their disposal the mass
of invaluable information concerning
enemy connection with financial inter
ests of all kind, III this nation and in
foreign countries, which has been gath
cred by the war trade board the alien
property custodian, and the allied ma
tons.
1T has been announced that the de-
partment of the alien property Gus
todlan, which has been Kidding many of
America S industrial interests of the
German menace, is prepared to seize any
property, shipyard or ship, where it is
shown that German agents have sue
ceeded in obtaining an interest, and to
take steps to purge the property in
volved of its undesirable connections.
The government, through the ship
ping board, now has complete control OF
and must pass upon all ship contracts
before they may be accepted by ship
yards, and this power of supervision
will be used to the full where occasion
is found. The trading with the enemy
act provides ample power to deal with
persons or corporations which attempt
TO transact business with enemy inter
ests, and heavy penalties are named
The more important of the bills which,
have been reported by the house com
mittee on merchant marine and fish
cries gives full authority to the ship.
ping board to pass upon requests com
ing from foreign interests with the OBJ
lect of preventing German capital from
obtaining, even indirectly, any grip on
the shipping interests through the hold
ing of mortgages, stocks, or bonds
Ships built in American wards under
the terms of the legislation will not be
leased to any corporation influenced by
German interests.
The shipping board is vested with the
power of making the decisions involved
IN order to defeat the efforts of Ger.
many and assure a control of all ship
ping constructed here by interests il
which the central powers have no hold
lngs or authority. The legislation i.
applicable for reasonable period aftel
| the war
\ careful watch on all efforts on tn,
part of Germany to act in the guise OF
| q neutral agency-and these attempt.
/ have been made despite the best effort.
| of neutral governments to discredi
| them-is being maintained and a thor
ough organization is being built up
through the cooperation of all of tn,
government departments dealing Will
such matters, by which it is predicted
Germany S hold on any of the shippin;
interests, as well as on other indus
tries, will be taken
The recent agreements made by tn
war trade board with the allied govern
ments to fight German efforts to PLAY
part III commercial relations amon
these nations, by having exports an,
imports involving the United State
carefully vised and purged before pro
ductlon and shipment is permitted. i
beilevcd by officials to have gone far +
defeat many of the plans which tn
Germans had prepared