The Washington herald., 1920-09-10
Firm Started
On Shoestring,
Made Millions
Young Jamaican Founder
Bids Fair to Become
World Power. 81
By FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE

tCopyught, ls2o, by Public Ledger Col
Before United States government
officials finish looking into the S4,-
100000 Kerr-Clegg- Hartman ship
ping mystery, they will run into
various other Kerr-Clegg millions
amassed during the war with Aladdin
like magic. The activities of the two
young Englishmen and their Ameri-
can associate, Edward F. Geer, turn
out to be more amazing the more
closely they are examined. / had
access yesterday to details of them
supplied by members of the triumvi-
rate themselves. No romance OF
commerce is more replete with GET
rich-quick developments.
Government sun silent.
Treasury and Department Of Jus
tce authorities maintain their
sphinN-like silence on the seizure OF
the Hartman payment to Kerr and
ClegG on August 2Sth. Il was
stated last night that A Mitchell
Palnoer, AttOrney-General has had
the affair personally in hand pre-
paratory to submitting IL to sub
ordinate officials Of his department
H Farquahar Kerr turned up in
New York shortly after the out
break OF the war from Jamaica,
where he was born in 1874 The
son OF an old-time Jamaican banana
shipper, he was himself engaged on
small scale in shipping operations
between the West Indian islands
Forms Steamship Line.
Foreseeing the possibilities Of
shipping during the war, he decided
to branch out on his own account
in New York and in February. 1916,
registered the trsde-name Of the
Kerr Steamship Line" He took
into partnership another young
Englishmau. A. z Clegg, who had
been in the United States about ten
years.
During the summer Of 1916 Kerr
went TO France to-estabiish his own
Offices. dock and steVedore orcsni-
zatiOn at Bordeaux. with agents at
MarsciIIcs and Havre
Then Kerr invaded Italy and ar
ranged for his own line TO Gen0
Spain was the next object of ms
ambitions, and he concluded ar
rangements with the Compsnis
Martina del Nervion at BiIboa-
which contracted 70 give Kerr their
steamers for loading at various
French ports.
Jnyndes Northern Europe.
Northern Europe now came
within the sCope % the young
Jamaican. In Norway he concluded
an alliance with the largest ship
owner at Tonsb.rE. who assigned
Kerr the right TO load all the Nor
wegian's vessels from New York to
Brazil and the River Plate.
Not yet satisfied with his EUroa
pean conquests, Kerr next turned
his attention 10 Russia and Fin
land. At HeIsingfors he co-operated
in the formation Of the Finland
American Steamship Company, be-
coming its largest shareholder.
Kerr returned to the United
States in February, 1917. finding
that his American interests had
prospered under the management OF
4. Z. Clegg.
Form Corporation.
The business was in such shape
that the pair decided to turn It
into a Sl.5OO.OOO Delaware corpora
ton They made their principal
employees shareholders in the COM
pany.
While Kerr was in London in
1861 the name Of an American
shipping man. Edward i. Gcer. was
brought favorably to his notice and
Gccr was invited to join the COM
bination. On June l. 1917. he be-
came vice president Of the Kerr
Steamship Company.
The company was moppinE ur
freight profits at such q prodiEiouS
rate that they were now able TO
sign lease for the former Ham
burg American piers at tho foot Of
Thirty-Jhird street. Brooklyn. for
SS2S.SoO a year.
About that time Herbert Noble,
kcrr'S lawyer, heard through Will
lam pcnman. chairman OF the Unit
Cd States shipping Board, that eight
Austrian steamers were in the mar
ket. Gecr was asked TO secure
them.
He succeeded promptly. On July
IS the Stars and Stripes were raised
over the double quartet OF former
Austrian liners.
Iii $ these eight Austrian vessels
and three or four others that figured
in the So, 800. 600 transfer Of share
control in the Kerr Navigation Cor
poration to the Harrimans. which
funds have been seized by the Treas
ury.