The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-02-17
AUCTION ENDS
IN BIG FZZLE.
Corporations Refuse to Bid for
German Ships Under Uncer-
tain Conditions.

The Shipping Boards auction" Of
thirty vessels, seized from the Ger
mans. turned up its toes, gave one
convulsiye quiver, and passed away
today.
You can lead a corporation repre-
sentative to an auction sale but you
can't make him bid. Such was the
case this morning, when agents OF
Americas great shipping interests
sat silent and unmoved when the
Shipping Board asked bids on the
cream" of the former German fleet.
In face of the Hearst Injunction
proceedings hanging over the sales,
and Of Congressional action blocking
action by the Shipping Board, the
ship companies refused TO show their
hands. =
We aren't going to bid for any
more ships, until we know whether
the board can deliver" one shipping
agent declared. "The court decision
on Friday may let the board sell
these vessels, and 1t may not. Con-
gress may let the board sell them,
and 1t may not.
There's no sense in our telling
our competitors what we are willing
to pay for ships, when we probably
Rouse No Enthusiasm.
At the morning sale only one bid
was received by the board. an offer
Of $3.50, 1000 for the Otsego, q ship OF
1850 gross tons, by E. ]. Roberts, OF
the Acme Operating Corporation.
The finest ships Of the fleet. placed
on the block, aroused no enthusiasm
on the part of the bidders. OFFICIALS
in charge Of the sale were mystineS.
And then. to cap the climax, repre-
sentatives of the International Mer-
camille Marine, which yesterday bid
$4,000 900 for the Leviathan, arose
and solemnly announced their bid was
withdrawn. That put the finishing
touch on the United States Shipping
Boards present activities in turning
over the merchant marine to private
interests.
The "bidders" who could not be
made to bed, filed out. 1t was all
over except for a series Of indigna-
tion meetings. At these, the bidders
impartially denounced the Shipping
Board, The Washington Times and
other Hearst papers, Mr.. Hearst and
his Injunction suit, and Congress.
"we've wasted a lot of time. have
aH hands other
panies, and have accomplished moth
ing" said a representative Of ship
ping company that has been very ac-
tive in attempts to acquire some OF
the vessels
'The Shipping Board ought not to
have offered to sell these ships until
IL knew that Congress and the courts
would stand behind 1t.
This sale might have gene along
all right IL IL hadn't been for the hull
labaloo raised by the Hearst papers.
They certainly started something when
they started to fight this sale"
AS a result of the refusal of ship
interests to act today. there arc q
large number of the best vessels that
have not been bid on at all. These
include the Leviathan, Agamemnon,
Mt. Vernon, Won Steuben. George
Washington. Martha Washington,
America, Dc kalb, Aeolus' huron
Moccasln, Mercury, Powhatan, Orion.
President Grant, Nansemond. Philip
pines, wyandotte, and Freedom.
bidders Not Enthusiastic.
Only Ave ships out of the lot OF
thirty ex-German ships received YER
bal bids at the auction" yesterday
afternoon.
Ship after ship, the best built In
the world, was put up, only to be re-
ceived in silence by the audience OF
shipping men. At 2:90, vN"n the auc-
tion was reconvened after lunch.
Chairman Scott made the announce
ment that bids would be received for
any group of ships, for any trade
routes in the world. His statement
was greeted by profound silence.
which he broke by saying that, rs
there were no bids on that basis, he
would call for bids for individual
ships.
The first ship put up was the
Leviathan. the largest ship ahoat
After waiting for n few minutes, with
no one making a move TO offer rcr'
sonable price for this ship, Mr.. Scott
said mo bid" and proceeded TO the
Agautemnon. No bid. The Mount
Vernon No hid. -.
The question was then asked II The
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