New-York tribune., 1920-10-06
Einancier Says Move Is
brilliant American Op-
portunity' to Gain Place
in World Shipping
Agreement Can Be
Changed at Will
Provides for an Equal
Division of Vessels ON
Hamburg Line Routes

Complete details of the tweaty-year
contract entered into between the
American Ship and Commerce Corpora
tion and the Hamburg American line
for the establishment on a pre-wal
basis Of freight and passenger ship
routes throughout the world were re
vealed yesterday William Averell
Hartman, president of the corporation
Mr. Hartman made public the texts
of two agreements signed jointly or
June 19 last by the Germans and his
firm.
eve regard the whole undertaking as
brilliant American opportunity" he
said in ~pointing out that if American
shippers had failed to sign with the
Germans the shippers of some other
country would have done so. Mr.
Harrlman's purpose in making the
documents public was to answer re-
cent criticisms.
Demand for Text of Terms
Bargaining with the Germans was
vigorously disapproved by the Ameri-
can Steamship Owners Association,
when the Hartman Hamburg deal was
being arranged last spring. After the
signing of the contracts criticisms came
from various quarters with a demand
mat the texts of the agreement be pub
llshed. The criticisms wer@A
mat the agreement is in effect q
partnership whereby the Germans, or
fifty fifty basis, will obtain the use
OF American ships which the Hartman
interests will be able to acquire from
n fnI |, u
That half of the profits from the ships
now held by the government will &c
to German interests.
That the agreement achieves the pur
pose for which William G. Sickel, vice
director of the Hamburg American
Line previous to the war, was kept ir
this country during the war. Mr. Sick
Ell is now assistant to the president
of the Hartman Line.
That the Germans had put in the
contracts provisions which pledge
American shipping interests to restore
German trade to a prewar basis.
June was heralded in Hamburg as Ger
many's "greatest bid for world trade
since 1917 and enabled the Hamburg
shipping interests to adopt as their
motto "Our field is the world"
Charges Result of Controversy
Most of these charges grew out OF
the controversy between the Hartman
interests and the Kerr Steamship Com
pany over the sale by II. f. Kerr and
A + Clegg o. stock of the Kerr Navi-
CATION Corporation to the American
Ship and Commerce Corporation.
Mr.. Hartman. in statement. says
that the agreement with the Hamburg
Line is subject to amendment and is
not finally executed. Admiral Benson,
chairman of the Shipping Board, is
quoted as saying that he whole
heartedly' approves Of the agreement
and that he looks upon it as IAN cp-
portunty, heaven sent, from the stand
point of the future of the American
mercantile marine"
The agreement shows that its pur-
pose is to rehabilitate freight and
passenger service on almost the iden-
tical routes maintained by the Germans
prior to the war. Section | says:
The provisions of this agreement
cover freight and passenger services
between The ollowing points:
"(a) United States atlantic and
Gulf ports) and Germany, including
intermediate European ports OF call as
required;
"(b) Germany and ports of the world
other than United States ports, as fol-
(Continusd on next paqe)