The New York herald., 1920-01-03
Bids Advertised For on Great
Group of Steamships, In
Guiding the Leviathan.
PRIVATE OWNERS TO
GET IMPOSING FLEET
Payne Announces Policy of Removing
United States Government from
The Ship Owning Business.
Herald bureau,
No 1.5O2 III street. N. W.,
WashiuGtOu. ID. c.. Friday

I -.->-~.@A9sCos ~ Sss RIiQays
Announcement was made today by John
Barton Payne. chairman Of the Shipping
Board, OF a definite policy to hand al
vessels owned by the Board. both pas.
senser and cargo craft, back to private
ownership. provided they can be sold
Vessels now building, or to be built, are
included. Mr.. Payne declared that the
governments activity in ship construction
was but means 70 an end. and that he
believed tho American merchant marine
should be in tho hands Of private
operators.
In the same connection the Board to-
day made announcement OF the readiness.
| for sale OF the largest group of vessels
ever put on the market. 1t includes the
German passenger ships and other Ship
ping Board vessels now ready for trans.
fer. Bids are advertised for to be in the
hands OF the Board by January %. The
sales are to be announced after the first
meeting following this date.
| The list includes the following vessels
OF the first class passenger type
The Iteviathan, the Agamemnon, the
Mount Vernon, the Won Steuben, the
lpCOi &c w Ine Martina NASH
I ington lAustrian), the America. tho DE
kalb. the Aeolus. the Huron. the Princess
the Metoika, the Pocahontas, the Callao
the Moccasin, the Black Arrow and the
Otsego. .lIT
intermediate vessels for steerage and
cargo are as foHows:--
| The Eten. the Madawaska, the Mercury
the Powhatan, the Orion, the Antigone
the Susquehanna, the President Grant
the Nansemond. the Artemis. the Amphion
the Philippines, the Wyndotte and the
Freedom.
Board Indicates Routes.
All bids are subject to rejection and the
Board Will insist that purchasers OF ves-
sells undertake TO place them in routes
indicated by the Shipping Board IN this
manner, the Board believes it will be able
to dictate tho routing of these vessels as
completely as IL they were the property OF
the Board.
! One of the reasons for tho immediat &c
decision to sell passenger vessels is the
uncertainty of the cost of repairing ves-
sells which have been In the transport ser.
vice, notably the German vessels II is
estimated that it would cost about $50.
0o0,0oo TO put these vessels in complete
repair. Mr.. Payne said IL would probably
cost more to repair these vessels than "a
rebuild hem. lie said the repairing OF the
Jeviathan alone would cost approximately
$4,000.
4 While Shipping Board officials are not
willing TO make any statement, ID Is gen.
orally assumed that the ruling OF the
I Board to mako all government owned
American vessels dry will interfere great
ly with the success or their operation.
| Back OF that is the policy OF getting
the government out of the ship owning and
ship operation business. The Shipping
Board. however, will remain the source
Of authority in control Of American ship
ping. IL is accepted that these plans ma
be overturned by action OF Congress- bu,
until this is done the Board is determined
TO proceed upon the policy OF closing ur
the government owned merchant marine
az quickly as possible.
Must stay Under Flag.
In tho advertisement for bids for the
vessels IL Is provided that certified checl
for two and a half per cent of the amour,
offered for each vessel shall accompany
the bid The bill OF sale is not to bc
tContinued on Page Two, Col. Five.)