Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-02
TO Benefit PORTS
OF SOUTH ATLANTIC
Move to Have Government Hold
Ships Built 1During War Until
Country Can Realize Benefits.
Special Dhpssch 70 Kvvry Evening

Special Dispatch - kvvry EVENING
Washington, Jan. 3l.--There appears
to be strong desire in Senatorial circles
to retain the ships built by the United
States Shipping Board for period OF
ten years. The object Is To prevent the
requirement Of the whole feet by the
great New York interests and to give
other ports, such ~ Wilmington, Lti.,
Charleston, s. c., and Galveston and New
Orleans a chance to get reasonable
share Of the shipping business.
The Delaware delegation IN Congrc1
will be officially invited by the Midwest
Gulf South Atlantic Foreign Trade and
Transportation COMMITTEES TO aid in
getting bill through Congress IN line
with the foregoing. 1t is commended by the
champions of the ten year proposition
that such period Is necessary to educate
the people Of the nation in maritime
matters and To convince shippers That
there are other ports than New York
and Boston.
II Is planned by the organization pro-
noting the scheme TO give due importance
tn all the ports from which vcssc's may
sail or into which they may enter. The
shipping public has been educated TO
believe that all ocean going traffic must
be cleared through the port of New York
and what little tIrplus there may be on
hand can go through Boston. This has
proved immensely detrimental to such
cities as Wilmington and Charleston
and has not proved of any material
advantage to shippers of the South or
Midwest.
Eleven ships have been ailocated 20
the Gulf and South Atlantic ports by the
shipping board and these. according to
reports from their managers, are producing
substantial net revenues. The ships are
simply leased by the board TO private
concerns which are managing them.
These concerns are not financially able
to assume the purchase of the entire
fleet and il is not believed that private
capital can for decade to come assume
the immense obligation involved in
providing fleets of trading vessels from
all the good ports on the Atlantic coast.
1--WE want the government to hold the
ships long enough to enable us TO educate
the people Of America on the necessity
for us being a maritime power" said
Matthew Hale, of Wilmington, North
Carolina, ono Of the officers of the organ
ization. eff the shipping board sells the
fleet now it will fall into the hands Of
New York men who will naturally dis
criminato against all other ports or II
will finally become tho property of Brit
ishers.
''Our plan is TO have the government
hold the ships for ten years, leasing them
10 private concerns At the end Of that
time we believe public sentiment viii be
such rs to make possible the collection of
the necessary capital TO finance the trans
fer of all the boats TO private individuals
or corporations. BY allocating the vessels
TO the different Atlantic ports the people
will gradually habituate themselves TO
the idea that shippers need not send their
goods TO Europe by way of New York.
They viii choose the nearest port and
have export and import rates adjusted
on an equalized basis with New York.
Take the harbor at Wilmington, Delaware,
for instance There is really no better
harbor in the United States. All it needs
is little improvement There ought
to be regular line of large ocean vessels
trading between that city and foreign
ports We want Wilmington to come into
the scheme.
Senator Ball, who Is a member Of the
commerce committee of the Senate, is
believed To be favorably disposed toward
the plan, but Senator Calder, of New
Y ork, one of Senator Balls colleagues on
the same committee, appears to be deter
mined 20 continue the Empire State in
its enjoyment of a virtual monopoly
Of the shipping business.
eve are not asking any subsidies
rom the government" said Mr.. Hale
We are only requesting that the ships
be not sold at least until the south has
lad an opportunity TO acquire its share
If them. In a decade from now we will
De able 20 obtain the necessary money
because by that time the maritime educa-
ion of the people viii be greatly advanc-
Nj