The sun., 1919-09-28
U. S. WILL RETAIN
GIANT IMPERATOR
British Expected to Recei,,
Craft When Orders Gave
1t to Shipping Board.
HOLD z OTHER LINERS
Action Taken as Result Of
Award of Oil Carriers
to Allies.
HOLD z OTHER LINERS

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.-Eieht Ger.
man liners. including the former Ham.
burg American steamship Imperato-
second largest ship in the world, al.
located to the United States by ths
Interallied Shipping Commission at,,
the signing Of the armistice and used
10 bring home American troops are Ia
be retained by the United States. Plans
to place them In passenger and freirh
service are being prepared by the Shin.
ping Board.
The 1mperator had been allocated bv
the Allied Naval Commission at PAR,
TO Great Britain and the British Min
lister Of Shipping expected that the shio
would be delivered TO him TODAY =,
HobolSen for use by the Cunard Line n
service between New York and Eng.
land. The Shipping Board announced
to-day. however. that It had taken the
liner over from the War Department and
ordered a survey to determine repairs
necessary-for use as liner.
]. II. Rosseter, director Of the d.
vision of operations OF the board, ISSUED
tonight the following statement:
II is understood by the United
States Shipping Board that the In.
perator, Kaiserin Auguste Victoria
and six other ex-German ships nov
in New York were allocated to the
rited States under the terms Of
peace and the board therefore as.
signed these vessels to the War De.
ont for the repatriation OF
troops. This service being now per.
+. I'd the chairman OF the board
requested the War Department to de-
liver the ships to the United State,
Shipping Board. Accordingly II.
War Department this morning redo.
llvered the Imperator at New York
to the Shipping Board representa-.
tives.
While no official on the board would
stand sponsor for the statement, II was
understood that the action of the board
In retaining the ships was direct resll.
of a decision by the supreme Economic
Council at Brussels to allocate to the
Allies twelve oil tank steamships In Ger
man ports, which the Standard OIL CON-
pany Of New Jersey contends are Its
property. The ships were operated un-
der the German flag, but the company
claimed they belonged to its German sub
sidiary.
Assistant Secretary OF State Polk. head
OF the American Peace Delegation a.
Paris, has sought to have the tvelya
oil ships allocated for the transports
ton OF oil from the United Statss to
| Germany. The representatives OF tn
five great Powers at Paris agreed, bu.
the Supreme Economic Council. on which
the United States Is not representa-
| ordered Germany to turn the vess;'
| over to the Allies,
In announcing that the Shipprs
Board would retain the eight Germa,
| liners. Mr.. Roseeter said their allocate
TO the United States was permanea
When the ships were delivered by h
Germans in England the Shipping Boart
II was explained. turned them over TO
the War Department for use as trans
| ports and has now taken them back for
| commercial employment.
II was said at the War Department TO.
day that since the ships had been as
signed to it by the Shipping Board the
Department only course was to return
them when no longer needed as trans
ports At the state Department Il was
said the matter had not been brought
formally to the attention OF officials
| there and no statement was forthcoming.
Great Britain has contended that the
ALLEGATION OF the eight lipers by the in
terallied commission was only Temporary
and that when the need for the ships as
troop transports had passed they were to
revert to the allied pool for permanent
ALLEGATION among the allied and assoc
ated nations.
| Offlcials of the Shipping Board woui
not say upon what authority they wet
acting. 1t was expected, however. ina.
the whole question would be brought
the attention Of President Wilson upo1
his return. to Washington, either BY IN
board or by Viscount Grey the hs
British Ambassador. who arrived tc-oay
to take up his duties.
Meantime the Cunard line has PEI
advised by the British Minister OF snip
fping to cancel it's plans TO operate t'
Inaperator under the Cunard flag ueA.
month. The company had advertise
extensively that the lmperator would Dc
operated by it in the New Nork-Souu'
ampton service.