The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-08-18
Agreement Between Amer
lean Ship Corporation and
Hamburg-American Line
PLAN COVERS
2O-YEAR PERIOD
Passenger Service to Be Started With
in a Year-Each Concern to Furnish
Half the Freight Tonnage On All
Routes
Routes.

Il 1ldiA the xEciSnt AonHdse III AL
Routes.
i WASHINGTON, Aug. 1s.-Operation
Eof American ships ON former German
/ trade routes to all parts of the world
has the sanction and support of the ship
ping board, Chairman Benson announced
in making public cooperative working
agreements reached between the Ameri-
can Ship and Commerce corporation of
New York and the Hamburg American
line of Germany.
In his summary of the agreements the
board would look forward to seeing one
of its constructive plans carried out"
| There is no German money in any
place nor is there any agreement ex-
ment in any of the American companies"
he added.
The arrangement is for twenty years
and consists, the chairman said, of a gem
eral agreement covering the methods of
carrying out the plan. In general it pro-
yldes that each party may participate
with an equal amount of tonnage in such
passenger and freight services as shall
be established which will include between
the United States and Germany and
ports OF the world other than the United
States. Pier facilities, ports and office
organizations of both companies are
placed at the disposal of the service.
Tho American Ship and Commerce cor
poration is TO act as agent for the Ham
burg-American line in United States ports
and the German company as agent for
the American company in German ports,
but each company may establish offices
in the country of the other to supervise
the activities there. Each company is
| to appoint its own agents outside of Ger
| many and te United States
The Hamburg American line may trans
| fer any service to any other German
company for execution and the American
corporation may transfer service to any
AIasrican company, but both parties ne
main responsible for the carrying out of
the services
In the event of war between the United
States and Germany, provision is made
for termination of the agreement and al
so to cover tie contingency of war be-
tween either the United States and other
powers than Germany or Germany and
other powers than the United States
Settlement of disputes between the two
companies by arbitration is provided for
as is revision of the contract in the event
the laws of either country should re-
!, quire
Passenger service between the United
States and Germany is to be established
within one year, the American corpora
tion agreeing to supply passenger ships
an I,
the Hamburg American line can not add
unless II is agreed that the business war
rants an addition. In that case the Ger
man company may add ships until it has
50 per cent of the vessels in the service
In the design and construction of pas
senger ships the Hamburg American line
will give the American corporation all
the technical knowledge and experience
at its disposal
Each party may supply half the ton
mage for freight service between the
United States and Germany, but If the
| Hamburg American line has not the ton
| mage for its half the American company
may supply it. Rates on eastbound traf
| ic are to be fixed by the American Ship
& Commerce corporation and on west
| bound traffic by the Hamburg American
line.
Freight services between Germany ana
countries other than the United States
are TO be taken up independently, the
| Hamburg American line to propose each
service with the American Ship Com
merce corporation may accept or not as
| it chooses. If the American concern
| chooses to enter given service, each party
may put in one-half of the tonnage re-
CURED The American Ship Commerce
corporation may suggest that any service
| be proposed if the proposition Is not
| made by the Hamburg American line.
"To begin to carry out the passenger
arrangements, Chairman Benson said,
THE American Ship & Commerce cor
noration has just purchased from the
| shipping board the steamer DE halb and
/ has let a contract for recondluonlng her
to carry third-class passengers and
| freight.
instructions have also been gwen Tor
the conversion into third class passenger
| ships OF, the two new thirteen knot ships
now building by the merchant ship build
| ing corporation. All these ships should
be ready for service early in 1871.
| Plans are being made for the eonstruc-
| ion of other passenger ships by the Am
| arfcan Ship & Commerce scorpofatlon.s ne
| chairman said, and r. Fl. M. Robinson,
viee-president Of the company, ts to visit
Germany shortly in connection with
their design