The Washington herald., 1919-02-02
CONGRESS AID
To Be OFFERED
us. SHIP0WNERS
Senator Weeks Prepares
Resolution Asking Infor-
nation on Embargo.

Congress is going to take a hand
in the situation arising out OF Eng
lands embargo against made in
America" products.
That developed yesterday with the
announcement that Senator John w.
Weeks, of Massachusetts,, was pre-
pairing for introduction in the Senate
tomorrow a resolution calling upon
the State Department for information
whether wartime embargoes on raw
materials are being removed.
Protests British Policy.
II they are being removed-and the
yates have been widely opened by
orders from the War Trade Board
during recent weeks-the next queS-
tion will be:
Why do we allow England to get
all the raw material she wants, when
she refuses entrance to our manu-
factured products. and our markets
are threatened with a flood of articles
manufactured in England with her
cheaper labor out OF our raw mate
rials?"
Announcement that Senator Weeks
contemplated bringing before the Sem
ate the subject which has aroused
American business since the an
nouncement Of the British import pro-
hibitions, followed statements by
other Senators that the United States
must protect itself from British trade
aggression should the embargo prove
an initial move in that direction.
While protests against the damage
to American trade which the British
import restrictions will entail were
81 10
veloped that America has won the
first round in the rate war initiated
by British ship owners as a prelimi-
nary to the English drive for dOmina-
ton in the world markets.
News that America had beaten the
British at their own game Of rate
cutting was contained in information
from New York of conferences there
between representatives of the Ship
ping Board and of British conference
agents. It was indicated that agree
ment to the point where future rate
reductions would be the result of joint
action had been reached.
The first reductions announced by
the British were from American North
Atlantic ports to United Kingdom and
Continental ports The Shipping
Board met those the night they were
announced. Since then. for a week
the battle has ragged merrily. with
America showing that she was deter.
mined to meet every English reduC-
tiOn. that if British shipOwners could
operate their vessels at rates which
might entail a financial loss the United
states Government could, too
Neutral shIpowners Suffer.
Neutral shipowners have suffered
especially as a result of the rate
slashing. Scandinavian and Dutch
firms being hard hit. In many cases
vessels chartered for the war are be-
ing returned to their scandinavian
and Dutch owners, just as rates are
falling through the bottom, and they
have lost completely the profitable
business which they could have con-
tracted for at the rates prevailing a
few weeks ago. The British and
American vessels. on the other hand
have contracts made at war rates
which will keep them occupied for
probably ten months or more It i.
estimated that about 10 per cent OF
the British and American tonnage will
be affected by the new rates. while
practically the whole neutral tonnage
will suffer.
No action on the British import
restrictions is contemplated by tn,
War Trade Board. according to state.
ments Of officials there. The boarC
considers that any initiative will have
to be taken in Congress. although the
administration naturally would be
through the board as long as war con.
diions continue. After a peace treaty
is signed the boa I'd will Caasa tf
function Also the hands of Congress.
would be tied, as England could well
object to an embargo on raw product!
directed solely against her. Her i'm
port restrictions apply to all nation!
alike. although the great majority O.
articles on the list come almost soIeIy
from the United States. A genera
embargo on exports of raw material,
by this country is, of course, impos
stble