The Washington times., 1920-02-23
Payne Fought to Keep
u. S. Flag OffLiners,
Says Shipping Official

NEW YORK, Feb. 23.-Philip Man
son, president OF the Pacinc and East
ern Steamship Company. has sent the
following letter to Senator Jones with
the request that II be put In the Sen
February IT. 1920.
Hon. Wesley e. Jones. Chairman
Committee on Commerce, United
States Senate. Washington, ID. c.
My Dear Senator:
Chairman Payne. when before your
committee last Friday. testified that
the reasons that decided him TO sell
the ex-German liners are: "a That II
would cost up to $4,000, 900 to re-
condition the ships; CD prohibition.
Both reasons are untrue, and Judge
Payne should know that they are un-
true. On pages $40, $40, S17 OF the
printed record of the hearing there
appears In my testimony evidence TO
refute Chairman Payne's statements.
l am surprised that in view OF my
testimony the committee permitted
Chairman Payne to testify as he did
without questioning him closely as
TO the facts. There Is no valid rea'
son why testimony coming from Chair
man Payne should receive any more
credence than my testimony. On the
contrary, as I will show. IL should re-
ceive less
"In addition to the evidence I have
already submitted to tho committee.
as above mentioned, submit the fol
lowing:
Discusses Dry Issue.
II will FIRST take up the question
OF prohibition. II II be true that pro-
hibition makes the profitable oper-
alton OF American passenger ships
~
will buy the ships with the condition
that they must remain permanently
under the American flag.
To the suggestion that i have seen
made the private parties may sell
liquor on American ships. l say that
such a suggestion Is absurd. as any
qualified legal authority will attest;
and II. perchance. there should be any
doubt on this point, II is quite certain
that the prohibitionists will see to 1t
that specific legislation be passed to
cover the matter.
Furthermore. IL is absurd to think
that private buyers will expend many
millions of dollars In the purchase
and re-conditioning OF these ships
with all the chances against their be-
ing able to sell liquor on them. II II
were true that the ships could not be
probably operated without the sale
Of liquor.
Gives Moccasin Facts.
"ChairrGan Payne cited as an in
stance - sustain his argument, that
n" steamer Moccasin recently had
on< -Laif of her passenger bookings,
/ aich no said had been booked full.
lanseied because Of the no liquor
order Here are the facts. The
MocGasin has accommodn''Crr for
100 = lssengers, all one class. sle
sailed with only twenty pa. COX IS,
scc7 rding to reliable inforrlat1on that
/ have.
The Munson Line, wiz are mon.
ayers of the Moccasin Tor no - D.
ping Board, told me that 'us hosrA.
sln, sailed with about thir Va paF-
sengers. There is. thereFos her Z
large discrepancy in Chairma 'aayu. IS
figures.
Then, Chairman Payne, in answe.
to a question from you. said that the
announcement OF the mo liquor order
was made about a week before the
AAoccasin sailed. This is incorrect
us announcement regarding mo
auor' on Shipping Board ships was
arst given to the press much more
than about \ week before the sailing
Of the Moccasin. 1t was given. be-
lieve, about a month before she sailed
paper files and let you know.
Business Kept on Ships.
TN my testimony before your com
mittee, pages S0s-S09, l showed how,
when the Moccasin sailed. it was
impossible to obtain bookings for
months to come on any Of the other
lines and concluded my state
ments regarding the sailing OF the
asi in Nyif no
"'There can be no question about
It. With travel conditions as they
are, the fact that the Moccasin sailed
with only thirty-six passengers-if
we accept their own figures, though
! think that twenty is nearer correct
is positive proof that business was
deliberately kept off the ship; or, the
Munson people are totally incompe-
tent and unfit to handle this business
Now, as to the cost Of recondi-
tioning: On November 81, 1919.
saw Chairman Payne and told him
that the figure he then set, $50, 0o0,-
0O0-and he has since raised II to
5000, Oo0--was much too high.
Hines Favors Plan.
ION November %, 1919, I wrote
Chairman Payne as follows:
an ter my talk with you yestcr-
day, called on General Hines and
he Informed me that the steamers
George Washington, President Grant
America and Princess Matoika would
all be turned back to you within the
next six weeks. General
Hines fully Endorsed my suggestion
that only q minimum of work should
be done on these steamers now, so
that they may be put into CONNER
cfal service as speedily as possible.
"He agrees with me that all work
necessary to make them fit for conf
mercial service can be done in about
thirty days. and he approves my sug-
gestion that the work should be 80
arranged that the vessels be ready
on dates two weeks apart so that
they may take up their schedules
without any waste of time
Applies To All.
while the foregoing applied Ill
rectly to the four large steamers
named, It held true to a more or less
exteuf m all of the eY-German lin ara