The sun., 1919-11-02
NEW SHIP BILL
RETAINS HOLD
ON US. MARINE
Jones Measure Provides for
Federal Corporation With
Wide Powers.
MAY SELL OR OPERATE
Extension of COastwise Laws
to Insular Possessions Is
Also Proposed.
Special Despatch to TIE Sun.

WASHINGTON. Nov. IA corporation
without a dollar of capital stock but
with s3,000,000,000 of assets is Pro-
posed to be formed by the Govern
ment to take over all the properties of
the United States Shipping Board and
Emergency Fleet Corporation and
operate them.
mwThis Is the basis of the plan for
blving the problem of the Govern
hent owned merchant marine built
yup under stress of war exigency, which
Is developed in bill prepared by Sen
ator Jones (Wash.) The measure will
be explained in an address to the Sem
ate by its author.
The United States Merchant Marine
Corporation is the name Of the COM
pany that will become owner of the
greatest merchant fleet In the world
II the measure passes. 1t will be COM
posed of nine men to be named by the
President. To 1t will be transferred
all the properties of the Emergency
Fleet Corporation and Shipping Board.
The latter body, however, will continue
In existence, with the powers of oper-
alton and administration it now pos
sesses. 1t will be the operating cor
poration, while the new concern will
be the owning company.
"a In Nature of Experiment..
& senator Jones's plan represents a
rompromise between those who want the
Government to go squarely into the
business of owning and operating a mer-
chant marine and those who want il to
dispose Of its marine properties and get
scompletely out of the business. 1t is in
the nature of an experiment, which may
lead to either conclusion. The Merchant
Marine Corporation will have power to
build, buy, lease, sell or do whatever 1t
wants to with ships. II ultimately 1t
sells all the ships the Government auto
matically will so out of the shipping
business. If on the other hand expert
ence and a developing policy leads 1t to
operate the merchant fleet, and proves
that 1t can be handled permanently as
Government business, there will be
nothing to prevent the Government re-
manning in the business if it so elects.
The plan contemplates giving the new
corporation powers broad enough to en-
able 1t to try out all sorts of ideas. 1t
may sell, lease or operate ships, accord
Ing to its judgment There is to be no
haste in arriving at private owner ship.
Of thirty years.
In naming the nine men who will con-
stitute the directorate of the new con-
icern, three must be from the Pacific ana
Mountain States. one from the Gulf, two
from the great lakes, one from the Cen
( tral States and two from the Atlantic
coast district
Wide Powerr Are Granted.
4. The most complete powers are granted
10 create a merchant marine, including
buying, selling and dealing in marine
securities, creating and developing port
facilities, terminals and warehouses.
But the striking part of the plan is that
there Is no definite commitment to either
public or private ownership as the
sell part or all of the feet II 1t finds
this the best policy. The plan looks to
conserving the Governments investment
IN the fleet 1t now has on its hands.
The coastwise shipping laws are to be
extended TO Hawaii, Guam, the Philip
pine and Virgin Islands six months after
the proposed act takes effect. Competi-
tion with established American steam
ship lines is forbidden. Adequate ship
ping facilities are required to be pro-
svided to connect the coast terminals of
the new Alaska railway. Joint rates
are to be made over the railroads and
the shipping lines by the Interstate Com
merce Commission.
Repeal of the emergency fleet law.
under which the present feet was
aoquired and built. is provided for
.Cnexpended appropriations of the
Emergency Fleet Corporation are to be
burned over to the new company to pro-
vide working capital.
= The Shipping Board is required to as
certain the needs of the country's ship
ping interests. with a view to manning
American vessels with American crews
aud TO this end is empowered to estab-
lish training stations, to fix the number
~ seamen apprentices and the like.
The bill Is the result of long investiga-