New-York tribune., 1920-03-14
u. S. Will Get
Vast Trade of
Hamburg Line
Shipping Board Authorized
by Senate Committee
to Draft Plan for OPP
Grafton by Americans
Opens Up 90 Routes
German Company Seeks
Co Operative Contract.
Being Without Ships

WASHINGTON. March 13 (By The
Associated Press A plan under which
american steamship companies would
eake over and operate with American
ships the sixty pre-war world trade
routes Of the Hamburg American Line
IS IS being worked out by the Shipping
Board, subject, it is understood, to the
approval Of the German company.
me proposal was approved today
py the Senate Commerce Committee.
10 to 4, after Chairman Payne had ex,
planned it in executive session.
!nere was an apparent difference Of
opinion among committee members as
TO the exact plans Of the board. but
notn Chairman Jones and Mr.. Payne
IN statements said the board would not
be q party to the proposed arranre. es
ments with the Hamburg American
Line; that its part merely would be to
furnish the ships, either through sale
or lease, and to lend its cooperation in
obtaining this business for American
shipping interests.
whether the plan originated with the
herman company or with the board was
not made clear. 1t was said, however.
that any arrangement made would be
cooperative one; that the Hamburg
american Line had the port facilities
for handling it's pre-war business. hut
was without ships.
To All Parts of World
The routes which the American
companies Will take over include those
I4 not only between Germany and the
America, the Orient. and Other n1ts narts
of the world. Shipping Board off4c;als
said the business probably would he s
TOO great for any one American com
pany to handle and that if the arrange
ments went through several companies
probably would operate the immense
1eet necessary to take care of tha
enormous volume of business which
the German company had before thu
war VIZ
Under the original plan it was pro-
posed that the board itself make a
working arrangement with the Ham
burg American Line, but this plan
was dlsapproved by the board. In this
connectlon,. Chairman Payne to-day
MADE pubic the following memoran-
oum winch was submitted to the Sen
ate Commerce Committee:
The board has carefully considered
the different matters involved in
proposition to make working ar
rangement with the Hamburg -Ameri
can Line, involving the Shipping
Boards taking over the sixty services
formerly served by that line.
ut is the sense of the board:
THAT no direct arraneemen+ h.
made by the board with the HAMBURG
line.
That 1t is very desirable that an
American company or group of com
Panles make an arrangement by
which this business may be secured.
The board is prepared to coop
crate with an American company or
companies in the sale or charterinq
OF ships to enable such American
companies to secure this outlet, the
terms OF any contract which may be
made with the Hamburg American
Line being subject to the approval
of the board"
Ready to Join Contract
While the Shipping Board officials
would not concede that there had been
my negotiations with the Hamburg
American Line, it was understood that
he company was disposed to enter into
cooperative contract with American
teamship lines. Details Of the con-
ract remain to be worked out, as the |
'oard, it was explained, was not pre-
'ared to make any further move in the
Erection of this development of Amer
can commerce without the approval
# the Senate committee, because a
echnical state of war exists still be-
ween the United States and Germany.
"The Shipping Board" Chairman
ores said, ''stated to the committee
hat it had been suggested that a
yorking arrangement could and should
e made with the Hamburg g-American
line, involving the taking over of the
ixty services formerly served by that
me and having them served by Ameri-
an ships flying the American flag, and