Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-12-02
WOULD HOLD j. s.
SHIPS FOR Use Of
SOUTHERN PORTS

In voting on the referendum of
the United States Chamber of Com
merce concerning the disposition OF
merchant ships bought by the gov
eminent during the war and operated
bv the government through the Unit
ell States Shipping board, the Allan
ia Chamber of Commerce will join
with cities of the South Atlantic
Sc aboard in their efforts to prevent
the removal of the eleven ships as
signed 10 those ports for trade with
South American ana Central Amer
lean me rkets.
This foreign trade through South
Atlantic ports is just beginning to
be built up If the eleven ships now
engaged in this trade should be SOLD
to private owners, they very proba~
bly, would move them elsewhere,
Thus the splendid promise of big
export trade through South Atlantic
ports would be lost. at the start. In
the past several, months there has
been substantial progress in develop
ing an export trade through the
South Atlantic ports. To lose the
ships now would be equivalent to
losing all of the progress made.
Five cities on the South Atlantic
seaboard-Wilmingt Charleston,
Savannah. Brunswick and Jackson
vilIe-several months ago formed the
South Atlantic Ports corporation,
which has for it's purpose the de-
velopment of these ports. AT the
same time was formed the South
Atlantic Export corporation, compos-
ed of cities throughout this section,
which has for it's object the develop
ment of tonnage to keep the ships
loaded when they come into these
ports. Concurrently was formed the
South Atlantic Maritime corporation
which leases the ships from the ship
ping board and operates them.
Through the combined efforts of
these organizations of business men,
aided by Senator HolIe Smith and
other southern senators, the shipping
board assigned to the South Atlantic
ports the eleven ships now engaged
in trade with South and Central
America.
Move to Sell ships
A movement is on foot to have
the government dispose of all the
ships it acquired in the war. Gen
orally speaking, it is backed by bust
ness men, who seem to have had
their "fill'' of government ownership.
The United States Chamber Of Com
merce is taking a referendum Of it's
members. e., of local chambers of
commerce, who compose the national
chamber-to ascertain their senti-
ment concerning the question of dis
position. ~.~ -
Nine questions are contained in the
L, &C., h.
lanta Chamber of Commerce awaiting
it's action. The sentiment of the At
lanta chamber is. against government
ownership, but it opposes the remov-
al of the eleven ships assigned to
South Atlantic ports. Instead of los
ing these ships at the, start of this
trade, it desires TO get more assign
ed to these ports. If the govern
ment should sell these ships, it ce-
sires in the contract Of sale a proviSo
requiring them to be kept. where they
are. Or, as a possible alternative, it
may suggest that the government
keep the ships a year or two before
selling them, so that the tonnage
moving through these ports may be
profitable for the owners who then
bought them.
Recently the railroad freight rates
from the middle west to South At
lantic ports were made the same as
rates. from that territory to New
York ~and other eastern ports. The
expected effect Of this REIMBURSEMENT
Is to turn a great volume of export
traffic into South Atlantic ports.
But the traffic will not go to them
unless thew have ShiDS to take fine
traffic to foreign ports.