The Washington times., 1920-06-06
SHIPPING BILL
BECOMESLAW
President Wilson Signs Measure
Against Protest OF State Dept.
Over Treaty Conflict.

--
The Jones shipping bill. providing
Tor surrender OF the great American
soyernment-built merchant marine
and the twenty-nine former German
liners to the shipping trust and for
sikn shipping interests. was signed
noon.
The President gave his approval to
the bill, making IL a law. in tie face
OF protest from the state Depart
ment. IL was stated officially at the
white House that Secretary Of state
Colby had opposed the bill becaWsc
IL carries a provision which violates
. number OF treaties with foreign
nations.
May Mean Court Hattie,
=, This attitude on the part OF the
state Department II IL believed GER
tain. will result in the question Of
disposing of the former German vcs-
sells as well as the ships built by the
shipping Board, bein.; thrown into
the courts again.
The state Department is The branch
OF the Government concerned with
foreign affairs and tront.us, and this
department has said that the bill;
shoud not have been signed because
II violates many trsatiea.
On this foundation, the question of
the legality of the act is believed
moro than likely again to nnd it's
way into the courts, and on up to
the United states Supreme Court, IL
necessary.
Members OF Congress and Others
interested in the maintenance and
operation OF an adequate american
merchant marine commented on the
apparent haste IN which President
wilson attach II his signature 10 The
bill
The bill did not reach the White
House until $3.50 yesterday afternoon,
Iand the Congressional clerks had to
smash lot of speed records to com
plete 1t in time to get it there by
that hour
Under the agreement for adjuurn-
ment Of Congress at 4 o'clock, the
President had only thirty minutes in
which to give any study to this meas
ure, and number of others were
piIing in on him at the same time.
Covers 50 Pages.
The shipping bill covers fifty-ninc
pages and is highly complicated and
technical. 1t was revised twice yes
terday. half a dozen important fea
lures being changed the second time.
There has not been a new print of
the bill since the conference added
their multiplicity of amendments. The
first time the measure was in shape
for an intelligent reading of it's pro-
visions was when the Congressional
clerks completed the typewritten
draft sent down to the White House.
This situation would indicate that
the President had to take it on
faith" Az
The next step in the process Of
turning the 1000 ships. built at a cost
to the people Of more than SO. 500 ,OO0.-
000,. over to the shipping trust and !
foreign shipping interests is the ap-
continent by the President of the
seven members OF the new Shipping
Board. There was no indication at
the White House as to when this will
be done. .-..
Spueculstion on Benson.
There Is much speculation as to
whether or not Admiral Benson will
be reappointed as the chairman. 1t
is known that Admiral Benson has
not found his task an easy one and
Is not at all eager to continue in the
post
When informed that the President
had signed the shipping bill. Admiral
Benson stated that he would make
every effort to see that the Govern
ment's ships. to be sold under Con-
Eressional dictation, fall into he
hands of Americans.
Observers who have followed the
policies of the Shipping Board since
Admiral Benson took office are strong
ly inclined to believe in his intention
to discriminate in favor of Ameri-
cans, as far as it Is possible for him
to do So 1t is believed. however. that
the un-American provisions of the
bill, directing the sale OF ships TO
aliens when they cannot be sold to
Americans, will hopelessly block the
carrying out of Admiral Benson's in
tention. however sincere.
No one is able to predict the MEM
bcrship of the new board, still to be
created under the terms of the Jones
bill or to say that the new members
will adopt the policy expressed by
Admiral Benson.
In this respect the most significant