The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-17
MANY MILLIONS
 BID FOR FORMER
 GERMAN LINERS
Bidders Fight With Quarter Million Boosts Till S13,-
 100000 Reached for One Group of 6 Vessels
By Associated Press

Washington, \ February les-Whfle controversy ovt the proposed sale of thirty former German liners occupied today three government agencies, the White House, the Senate and the dis trict supreme court; presidents of great shipping companies were bidding in tens of millions against each other for the craft at the shipping boards auction.
 For one group Of six vessels tho
 bidders fought with $:5O 900 boosts
 in~price untiI Major General George
 W. GoethnIs, retired, now head of
 the American Ship and Commerce
 Company, dropped out at s13,OOO,-
 GOO which he said was his limit.
 and F. A. $. Franklin. president of
 the International ercnntilc Mn-
 rfne, rafsed the price $I:, LOO. 900.
 Commissioner Scott had announced in opening the auction that it was only for the purpose of receiving bids, final action to await approval of the Senate commerce commission and the House merchant marine committee and the outcome of William Randolph Hearsts application for an injunction to prevent the sale
 While the bidding was in pro-
 Eress the Senate further compIicat-
 ed the situation, adopting a resolu-
 tioD requesting that the sale he
 postponed, hut at the conclusion of
 the bidding today it was announced
 that the auction would continue at
 10 o'clock tomorrow.
 TO RENDER DECISION FRIDAY
 In the district supreme court Asso- ciate Justice Bailey took under advise ment Mir. Hearst's application after hearing contention of counsel that the shipping board lacked legal power to dispose of the vessels. He will render his decision Friday
 At the White House it was said / the President would answer
 promptly with Il decided negative
 the resolution adopted by the
 Senate Saturday, asking if there ex-
 isted reported secret underestimate
 ing with Great Britain ms to the
 ultimate disposition of former Ger
 man craft.
 Bidding at the auction was slow in getting under way at the morning ses- sion when groups of ships were being offered but became spirited in the af ternoon when. individual vessels were considered
 4 hc Ii6HeSl group Diu was >i4,UoU,UUO by the International Merantile Marine for nine ships including the Leviathan, which went unopposed, and the record bid for assingle ship was S2,000.000 for the Callac by the American Ship and Commerce Company, doubling in one bid the offer of the International Mer- captile Marine for the vessel
 HUGE LINERS INCLUDED
 The highest group bids covered the Leviathan. George Washington, Amer ica, President Grant, Nanzmond, An tigone. Pocahontas. Princess Matoika and Cailao offered by the International Mercantile Marine, the vessels to ba put in the European service. The next highest group offer was the Interna- tional Mercantile Marines bid of $13,- 100000 for the George Washington, Martha Washington. America
 After making the sf3,100o00 bid for the group of ships MT. Franklin was asked by Commissioner Schott if he de- sired to make any statement regard ing the ownership of his company, to which he replied that the Mercantile Marine was 99 per cent owned and cori- trolled in the United States. ss
 Bids submitted by the International Mercantile on January 20 have been withdrawn at the request of MT. Frank lin, Chairman Payne announced tonight. These bids included one of $2s. 900 900 for the entire fleet of thirty vessels and one bid of $4 .000.0 for the Levia- than Chairman Payne said the other companies offering bids at that time would have the privilege Of withdraw ing theirs Tn general the bids made today for individual ships were much lower than the ones received in Janu- ary.
 Terms proposed by the bidders varied
 tCentisues on Page Two,