The Washington times., 1920-05-28

son last year head of the United States Shipping Board
This eminent private corporation lawyer was thus
put in charge of all the ships built by Government
during the expense to the people, OF more than
THREE AND A HALF BILLION dollars.
The private interest that wanted to control this sec
ond largest fleet in the world is the International Mer-
camille Marine speculative blndpoo organized by the
Morgan banking house.
This "Ship Trust" chartered in New Jersey in 1902,
operates upward of seventy steamships, most Of them
fifteen twenty years old and of less than 5000 tons
BURDEN all of them except three belonging to the British
or Belgian mercantile marines all BUT ONE ofcered by
British subjects manned with foreign directed by
British boards of directors.
This "Ship Trust is with the single exception of
the Cunard line, the largest single unit in the great Brit
ish mercantile marine.
This "ship Trust" is British in management and
spirit from top to bottom.
This "Shp Trust earned during the than
one hundred million dollars year profit 1t COM
PEELED to pay the largest share of these profits into the
British Treasury ''as profits taxes" because it
composed of British corporations operating
under the British flag.
The American ''owners'-who are in reality only
spectators in foreign shpsof this Ship Trust" actual
ly controlled during the war four very aged American
steamships which were taken by the United States
Government at the fancy price then paid for any kind
of steamer that could keep afoat They pad for them
selves many times over often by single trip the
Atlantic and back
There was nothing wrong legally morally in the
fact of this foreign control BEFORE THE WAR During
the war not the ONE American captain employed
by this "Ship Trust could reasonably protest against
the use of the seventy ships by the foreign nation that
built them still controlled them, and had only "sold'
them spectators under articles of agreement
guaranteeing that the ships should be aienated
from Great Britain or commanded by any but British
subjects officers of the Royal Naval Reserve.
But after the entirely different situation
The United States Government had built two thousand
ships, at cost to American taxpayers of three and
alf billion dollars, and had into possession by
of the finest feet of passenger ships in the world the
xGerrnan liners.
.: The German fleet was appraised by the Government
itself al $2l 100000.
1t is conceded by everybody that the six principal
ships il the feet ARE the finest ships the world There
we're in all twenty-nn of the exGerman ships.
The late Democratic Congress INTENDED that
the ships should be owned by the United States Govern
ment and if operated by the Government at least
operated pei manenty under the American flag and always
held part of our Transport Reserve in which they
had been operated with such during the
In view of the origin, history, and purpose of the
"Ship Trust" any patriotic American Government might
well have hstated before turning to it permanently
and irrevocably any of the ships built owned by
Government.
' But President Wilson decided to give by far the most
valuable ships possess to this very Shp Trust" with
an American but foreign soul, to be operated if
thought t, under foreign flags to pay profit to
foreign treasures to be commanded by British officers to
e manned by British crews, to be for the honor,