The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-03-11
SAVE VESSELS,
'22STATESASK
Shippers and Producers From
22 States Want Board to
Keep Vessels.
WOULD PROHIBIT TRANSFER
Claim Craft Bought by Foreign
interests Ideal for Coast
wise Service.

A protest against the sale of
small ships of the 'lake" type was
received by the Senate Committee
on Commerce today in the form of q
letter from Matthew Hale, represent
iig producers and shippers covering
twenty-five States.
Charges II Ships Sold.
Hale charged the Government with
having disposed Of ten ships to the
Lloyd Royal Beige on February %
and later three more TO the same com
pany. while on March 0 four were dis
posed of TO the Societe Maratime
Francaise, making total of seven
teen ships to foreign countries in the
last two weeks.
The letter asked that no further
steel cargo-carrying ships be disposed
Of until Congress shall have had time
definitely to determine its policy
Useful to America.
1t was pointed out that the type of
ships disposed OF, all under 6,000 tons,
were particularly useful to the
United States at this time in develop
ing trade betwesn South AtlaELlr AHd
iGulr, ports, and the West Indies ana
Genital American countries tnst
While too small for trGrs-At feptia
trade, they were ideal for coastwsse
and inland sea service whic Is tae
use the French and Belgian conapa-
nies will put them to.
Conference Called.
The question, it was learr ed to-day,
will be further discussed a tne &or-
eign trade conference beginning ~
Greensboro. N. c., tomorrosy ~
which Gov. Thomas w. Pickett o.
North Carolina, Gov. Hugh II DVEses0
of Georgia, Gov. Robert A. Cooper of
South Carolina, Senator ] u. ain-
mons of North Carolina, aud othsrr.
will be present.
The ruin OF the market FoT the sale
Of American ships-as the result OF
the campaign against their h&sty dis
position-was portrayed yesterday In
sad but graphic colors by John Bsr~
ton Payne, chairman of taa shippANs
Board.
"The agitation has unsettled the
market and I think private interests
will be reluctant to bid until Congress
has adopted permanent shipping
policy, and we know where We are
at" said Mr.. Payne
Against q. 8. OwnershiD-
He deplored the tendency in favor
Of Government ownership and oper-
alton and stated that he believed the
Government should get out of the
shipping business as rapidly as pos
sible.
I'VE should sell the ships we have
as rapidly as is consistant with good
prices" he told the committee Il do
not think that we should build an!
new ships after the present program
is completed.
MY ambition is to build an Amer
lean merchant marine, but l do not
believe it Is possible without the sale
of ships to private owners. Tnat
ought to be the policy Of Congress-"
He was not "heckled" to any extent
by the committee. and was permitted
to proceed with his entire statement
regarding the Shipping Board finances
practically without interruption
The advocates of Government oper-
alton on the committee did not inter-
rogate Chairman Payne as to his
views on shipping policy. but were
pleased with his showing of profts
derived from Shipping Board oper-
ations.
Operation Profitable.
The operation of Its cargo carriers
has been so profitable that the Ship
ping Board will not have to ask Con
EreSS lOT "A tlHstt penny W SV'p'SNN
its construction program. Funds from
the operation and sale of ships will
more than take care of the estimated
expenditures of S307.o00,oo0 for the
next fiscal year.
Mr.. Payne recommended that legts-
lation be enacted which will prevent
the transfer of American ships to for
eign interests without the consent OF
the Shipping Board. He also asks
that the board be given control OF
the present North German Lloyd and
Hamburg docks at New YORK. now
controlled by the army.
Net earnings Of the Shir0'ng Board
in a period of slightly moie than six
months following the armistice
amounted to s166, 400 994.S5, according
to figures laid before the COMMITTEES.
10. Cargo fleet.
Chairman Payne presented figures
to show that net revenue from opera
tions to June 80. 1919, were S160,4e3,-
e94 So, and that the balance Of re.
ceipts over disbursements for opera
tions to December 81, 1919, was $751;
$40, ,5OS.07.
A total annual saving of ss,65s,-
0T213 has been affected by the pres
cnt administration of the board
Chairman Payne asserted.
Figures were presented showing
that on February 10 the total cargo
fleet was 673 vessels with dead
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