Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-09-28
BRITISH GREATLY
SURPRISED WHEN
u. s. TAKES SHIPS
lmperator, Awarded to England,
is Now in Shipping Boards
Hands.
AMERICA GETS SEVEN
OTHER GERMAN CRAFT
Board Holds Original ALLEGATION
Whereby German Vessels Lent
To L. s. is Permanent
and Acts.

Washington, Sept. 27-Holdng
that the original ALLEGATION to the
United States of eight German ships
delivered after the signing of the ar
mlstlce was permanent, the United
States shipping board today proceed
ed with plans to take over the yes
sells from the war department and
place them in the passenger and
freight service between the United
States and Great Britain and other
countries.
One of the ships, the former Ham
burg American liner lmperator, the
second largest ship afloat, had been
awarded by the inter-alled Shipping
commission to the Cunard line, which
had advertised that the vessel would
be used between New York and Eng
land, beginning next month. The
British minister of shipping at New
York had expected the vessel to be
delivered to him at Hoboken at 9 a.
m. today. Last night, however, an
agreement was reached between the
war department which has been using
the vessel as transport, and the
shipping board for delivery of the
craft, together with the other seven
to the board.
The British minister was greatly
surprised when informed that the
vessel would not be delivered. Suisse
quently, the Gunard line was advised
to cancel the preparations it had been
making to sail the ship under the
Cunard flag.
J. H. Rosseter, director of opera.
hn CHI
er board officials take the position
that the ships became the property
Of the United States government
when they were delivered by the
Germans to American naval officers
at London for use as transports.
The ALLEGATION had been made by
the interallied shipping commission
at Paris and Great Britain has con-
tended that it was only temporary
and that when the need for the ships
in the homeward movement Of Ameri-
can troops ceased to exist they would
revert to the inter-allied pool for
permanent disposition among the
associated and allied powers, as might
be agreed upon by the commission.
EXPLAINS Boards Action.
j. ". Rosseter, director Of the divis-
ion of operations Of the board to-
nigh issued statement explaining
the shipping boards action.
1t was understood that the action of
the board in retaining the ships was
direct result of decision by the.
supreme economic council at Brussels
to allocate to the allies IL oil tank
steamers in German ports which the
Standard Oil company of New Jersey
contends are it's property The ships
were operated under the German flag
but the company claimed they belong
ed to it's German subsidiary.
Under Secretary of State Polk,
head Of the American peace delega-
ton at Paris. has sought to have the
IL oil ships allocated for the trarspor-
tation of oil from the United States
to Germany. The representatives Of
the five great powers at Paris agreed.
but the supreme economic council, on
which the United States is not now
represented, ordered Germany to turn
the vessels over to the allies.
1t was said at the war department
today that since the ships had been
assigned to it bv the shipping board.
the departments only course was to
return them when no longer needed
as transports.