New-York tribune., 1918-01-04
State Department Com
pletes Negotiations With
Foreign Owners
Will Release Other
Vessels for Troops
Communicated Craft Will
Be for Coastwise, Not
European, Travel
lStaf Coryespondence1 |

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3.--The State
department has completed negotiations
Tor the chartering Of the great neutral
tonnage now held in American ports,
Formal announcement to this effect, it
lS expected, will be made within the
next few days. Meantime ARRANGEMENTS
are being made to place the tonnage in
immediate service. The ships will be
used in the South American and coast
wise trades, thus relieving American
ana Allied vessels for overseas service.
Fuel Administrator Garfield conferred
with Secretary Lansing to-day on the
question of bunkcring the neutral YES
sells as soon as they are formally taken
over by the Shipping Board. This will
be considerable problem, it is stated,
on account of the existing shortage Of
bunker coal at the seaboard. This has
already delayed the sailing Of several
ships overseas and has been the cause
OF recent emergency measures taken by
the tucl administration.
Negotiations for the neutral tonnage
nave been continuing for over five
months. At various times a practical
the State Department and the several
neutrals, only to be overturned at the
critical point by the application of ad
dlt1onal pressure on the latter by Ger
many.
House Urged Action
The question has, however, reached a
head during the last two weeks through
the urgent requests made by the Allied
governments for greater participa-
tion of American troops in operations
on the Western front. These repre-
sentations have been supported by the
Colonel House report to Secretary Lam
sing. which recognizes the urgent ne
cessity of a larger American army in
France
While it is impossible to state even
in round numbers the size of the
American overseas force, as has been
pointed out by members of Congress
returning from the Western front, the
number Of actual military electives IS
far below the general belief. With the
accommodating evidence Of German in
tentlons to make ,esperate drive
against the French lines the need of
rushing American troops has become
manifest.
A considerable body of American
troops, it can be competently stated,
is practically ready for transport over
seas. All that stands in the way is
lack of ships. With more than one
hundred neutral ships of a tonnage up
ward Of half a million lying idle in
American ports, it has become in
evitable that the government would be
compelled through the pressure of mill
tary necessity to take steps to acquire
their control.
Wilson Was Opposed
President Wilson has been much op-
posed to communicating these vessels,
though international precedents give
sanction to such a course and many of
the Presidents advisers have coun-
selled it. In consequence, Secretary
Lansing has followed the policy of ne
Gotlation which, though open to the
criticism of delay, yet has had the ad-
vantage Of arousing none of the bitter
ness which a more vigorous policy
would have brought.
In recent weeks the State Depart
ment has been aided in it's negotiations
by the increasingly acute food needs
Of the several neutral countries. Both
Holland and Denmark are now reported
to be in dire need of cereal foodstuffs
and other neutrals are said to be in
similar straits. The United States
must be food provider for the neu-
trails. This would have enabled the
government to drive even sharper
bargain than has been at any time con-
! temDlatcd