The Colorado statesman., 1920-07-03
CHAIRMAN BENSON SERVES NO
TIcE AMERICAN BOARD WILL
FIGHT FOR JONES ACT.
U.S.PORTS THREAT TENED
INTERSTATE COMMERCE commIs s.
SION HAS AMPLE AUTHORITY
TO HANDLE SITUATION.
western Newspaper Union News Service.

western Newspaper Union Ncws Service.
Washington. July 2.-Warning for
eign interests not 10 attempt to inter
ferc with the development of the Amer
lean merchant marine, Chairman Ben
son of the shipping board declared that
the board was determined To build up
an American merchant marine rs con
templated by the Jones shipping act,
despite threats and propaganda by
such interests to defeat the law.
The United States" said Admiral
Benson, lis in earnest in its efforts
to place within the ownership by
United States citizens the control OF
AT least part of its traffic in i'm
ports and exports If it should by any
possible means be held that the de-
partncnts of the government lack such
authority as will insure their being
able to protect American interests in
such control, additional authority viii
be asked by the administration and
will undoubtedly be granted by Con
gress.
Foreign carriers and those in the
United States Interested more in the
foreign ;han American institutions
will do well to let sleeping dogs lie.
Admiral BensOn's warning was
founded in IL talk to representatives OF
Pacific coast chambers of commerce
and trade bodies and American rail-
way representatives, which have been
disturbed 10y threats to divert trade
from points ON the Pacific coast be-
cause of the section of the merchant
marine lc, permitting a preferential
ratr over foreign carriers within The
United States on merchandise moving
in export ami import in American YES
sells
Such II threat, the chairman said, lis
futile and idle"
IF such n threat is sincere and the
attempt is made To SO divert the Dusl-
ness" Admiral Benson continued, the
sLippiu@ board will allocate American
ships 10 move the business. The ship
ming board and the Interstate Com
,nerce Commission will follow this ac-
ton by other steps which would iur-
ther protect the interests of The Ihlted
States against such foreign efforts to
defeat the purpose of I'll" merchant
marine act
.'Nothing could more surely bring
| about the enforcement OF thiS sectioh
of the law than adoption by toreiSh
carriers of their threat 10 divert Dusi-
ness from American ports.
"As this section is TO he used only
where there is an ample American ton
/ La.
commerce to any particular port IN
| foreign country or possession OF the
| United StnteS, we cannot conceive now
anyone who has studied this law can
assume that the shipping board would
make any general application OF inns
section. There will certainly ne nc
enforcement of the provision without
| concurrent action which will fully pro
rect all American interests.
"The transportation act has given 10
tbe Interstate Commerce Commission
authority in emergencies 10 direct
traffic or establish embnrgocs against
movements of freight. II ais" mas au-
thoriiy to establish minimum rates on
any commodity moving subject 10 'he
| Interstate Commerce act wllhn the
| United States.
.The commission is aware of the ne
cessity for preventing the distorting OF
traffic upon the railroads of the thlted
States such as would he accomplished
nv an effort by foreign carriers to dl-
vert The export and import traffic now
moving between Pacific const ports OF
the United States and the Orient either
to British Columbia or to ports of the
Atlantic"