The Washington times., 1920-02-22

CHAIRMAN PAYNE. of the Shipping Board. informs
both the Senate and House committees that President VII
approved his projected sale Of the German ships to
syndicate now operating under the British nag.
Mr. Hearst's suit in tho District Supreme Court per
smptoy halted the sale Tho court having now granted
temporary injunction the ground that Congress never
conferred power upon the President the Shipping Board
sell the German ships, Mr. Hearsts suit has entirely
achieved its purpose. lf
The issue now rests with Congress The Senate com
ittee has reported favorsby bill expressly fobddng the
Chairman Payne, having the mind and heart Of great
corporation lawyer accustomed to serving ably and faith
fully his private clients and having been for many years
counsel Of tho great railroad interests in which the
Morgan firm is the dominating banking influence, his point
of view is that his late clients better fitted to all the
and all tho steamships and that the
should not interfere with them but should aid them
That was not formerly President Wilson'S view But
Mr. Wilson not only stands for Chairman Paynes pol
ICY but he has just promoted Mr. Payne to his Cabinet Mr.
Payne close to the great corporations as Ehu Root
now retired used to be. Nt
Chairman Payne admitted before the Senate committee
that all German ships be sold to foreign govern
ments by their purchasers he knew Of no way to prevent
There is strong evidence that Chairman fayne DID
NOT INTEND TO PREVENT IT.
In an article written by him for the current Magazine
of Wall Street this sentence Some of the ships
now in operation will sell for by foreign flags
His purpose also shown by his ingenuity in invent
ing excuses for doing what most Americans will find
cuse or justification for doing He told the Senate
ttee that it would be difficult to operate these passenger
ships under prohibition it better to put them under
foreign flag.
that Wall Street syndicate known the international
Mercantile Marine American only in the technical legal
way get the great German feet for or
quarter its value and that the peerless ships were ut
mately be put under the British fag AND BE MADE
A PART OF THE BRITISH ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE.
The International Mercantile Marine syndicate (nQm
inay Amercan) few ships It is speculative organ
izaton holding stock in six seven shipping companies
that operate close cooperation with the British govern
ment.
SEVENTY THREE of its ships fly the British flag,
belong the royal reserves commanded by British
officers and handled by British crews.
SIX of its ships fly the American flag but are not oper
ated with American crews:
ONE of its seventy three captains was we believe born
An American
The political and moral significance of this deal there
FORE far ranscends in importance any legal economic
question. -
We are deeply grated that the Democratic Senators
on the Commerce Committee voted with few Republicans
to rescue the President from the lasting stain this ransac
ton would have put upon his administration.
It is not question of money. The sale to the Anglo
Wall Street syndicate for Of the feet which the
Shipping Board itself appraised at two years
ago. is not the worst thing about it.
WHY should this fleet including the greatest transport
and the finest passenger steamship in the world owned
bv the United States Government be sold any terms by
AN AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION to syndicate that
has no patriotism nationality unless be British patriot
ism and British nationality?
There are three why this deporabe event would
now be an accomplished fact if the Hearst had not
interfered.
The first and most important reason we shall allow Mr.
Wilson to state his words at the end of this editorial
The second is that the British government has long
desired and unanswered to control of the ships
| tb;osts Van