New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-07-09
ATTEMPT BLOCK
ON U.S.. SHIPPING
CHAIRMAN BENSON SERVES NO.
TicE AMERICAN BOARD WILL
FIGHT FOR JONES ACT.
SPORTS THREATENED
INTERSTATE COMMERCE coMMIS.
SION HAS AMPLE AUTHORITY
TO HANDLE SITUATION.

estern Newspaper Union News Service.
Washington, July 2.-Warning for
eign interests not TO attempt 10 inter
fere with the development of the Amer
lean merchant marine, Chairman Ben
son of the shipping board declared thai
the board WAS determined To build W
an American merchant marine as con,
templated by the Jones shipping act,
despite threats and propaganda by
such interests to defeat the law.
The United States,' said Admiral
Benson, lis in earnest In its efforts
Ia place within the ownership by
| nited States citizens the control of
at least Il part of its traffic in i'm
ports and exports. If it should by any
possible means be held that the de-
partments of The government lack such
authority as will insure their being
able To protect American interests in
such control, additional authority will
be asked by the administration and
will undoubtedly be granted by Con-
GIeSs.
Foreign carriers and those in the
| nited States interested more in the
foreign than American institutions
will do well TO let sleeping dogs lie"
Admiral Benson's warning was
founded in a talk to representatives of
Pacific coast chambers of
and trade bodies and American rail
way representatives, which have been
disturbed by threats to divert trade
from points on the Pacific coast be-
cause of the section of the merchant
marine act permitting a preferential
rate over foreign carriers within the
United States on merchandise moving
in export and import in American yes
sells.
Such d threat, the chairman said, "is
futile and idle"
IF such a threat is sincere and the
attempt is made to so divert the bust
ness" Admiral Benson continued, "the
shipping board will allocate American
ships to move the business. The ship
ping board and the Interstate Com
merce Commission will follow this ac-
ton by other steps which would fur
ther protect the interests of the United
States against such foreign efforts to
defeat the purpose of the merchant
marine act.
Nothing could more surely bring
about the enforcement OF this section
of the law than adoption by foreign
Of their threat to divert bust
ness from American ports.
"As this section Is to be used only
where there Is an ample American ton
to handle the export and import
to any particular port in a
country Or Il possession of the
States, we cannot conceive how |
who has studied this law can
assume that the shipping board would
make any general application of this
There will certainly be no
enforcement of the provision without
concurrent action which will fully pro-
tect all American interests.
'The transportation act has given to
the Interstate Commerce Commission
authority in emergencies to direct
rattle or establish embargoes against
movements of freight. 1t also has au-
10 establish minimum rates on
my commodity moving subject to the
Interstate Commerce act within the
States.
THE commission Is aware of the ne
for preventing The distorting OF
upon the railroads of the United
states such as would be accomplished
~ an effort by foreign carriers to di.
cert the export and import traffic now
moving between Pacific coast ports of
he United States and the Orient either
o British Columbia or to ports of the
Atlantic"