The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1920-03-05
NO ship DEAL
With BRITAIN
President Gives Senate Copy of
Compact to Credit Germany
With Excess Over Losses.
SUBJECT TO CONGRESS WILL.
Proposed Agreement With Lloyd George
Whereby the United States Would
Retain Absolute Title to All
Enemy Vessels She Had.

Washington.-Presid Wilson fiat
ly denied in a formal communication
to the senate that he had any agree
ment or understanding with British
officials regarding disposition of the
fleet of former German liners around
which, since they were offered for sale
by the Shipping Board, has ragged con-
troversy into which Congress, courts
and government agencies have been
drawn.
The Presidents letter was in re-
sponse to a resolution offered by Sen
ator Brandegee of Connecticut, Repub
lican, and adopted by the senate, in
uuiring of the President whether such
an agreement existed.
"There is not, nor has there been,
any agreement or understanding be-
tween the President of the United
States and officials of Great Britain
concerning the sale of the eX-German
vessels in possession of the United
States" Mr.. Wilson said, "nor is there
any agreement or understanding with
respect to what disposition shall be
made of those ships by the United
States.
"I believe the above information
fully answers the senate inquiry"
AT the same time, however, and sin
order that the senate may be in pos
session of all the information there is
in any way relating to the vessels in
question" the President transmitted
oonv Of q bitborto ,lDDuh1icbod toDto-
tive agreement reached in Paris that
Germany eventually would be credited
before the Reparations Commission,
should Congress approve, with any sur
plus valuation of the ships in excess
of merchant tonnage losses Of the
United States during the war. In no
case would title to the ships them
selves pass from the United States,
the agreement provided.
The following developments pre-
ceded the receipt of President Wilson's
communication in the senate:
Associate Justice Bailey, in the Su-
preme Court of the District of Colum-
bia, took under advisement the appli-
cation of counsel for the Shipping
on whose petition a temporary injunc-
ton against the sale of the ships had
been issued, be placed under $4,000
600 bond to cover possible losses to the
government due to the tying up Of the
craft by legal proceedings. Counsel
for the board estimated the daily pros
pective loss at $4,000 and pointed out
Ill 0f hn h ING
for $2OOO,OOO, held up by the injunc-
ton, had expired. Justice Bailey said
he would be prepared to fix the amount
of the bond tomorrow.
The Senate Interstate Commerce
Committee decided to recommend pas
sage of bill drawn by its chairman,
Senator Jones of Washington, Repub-
lican, deferring sale of the ships until
they shall have been reftted for COM
mercial service by the Shipping Board
and Congress shall have laid down a
national shipping policy.
The House Merchant Marine Com
mittee embarked on q separate inquiry,
in which Chairman John Barton Payne
and Vice Chairman Stevens of the
Shipping Board reiterated their diver
gent views as to the advisability of
selling the ships at present.
The proposed agreement transmitted
by the President was signed in May,
1919. how American payments into the
allied pool" would be computed under
the proposed agreement should losses
sustained by the United States be less
than the value of German tonnage
seized, was explained by Mr.. Payne.
At the direction of the President an
appraisal of the vessels, made by the
secretary of the navy in June, 1917,
set the value of the 95 vessels, aggre-
eating 100000 gross tons, at $34, ,193,-
100. This appraisal, the chairman
said, took into account the damage
done to the ships by their crews before
relinquishing them and represents their
value for the purposes of the proposed
agreement.