New-York tribune., 1920-02-14

IL seJ 'oltu ~ HIS lcIleT w t'e AAcoi-
dent, which follows:
Dear Mr.. President.
"ln view Of the vicious but charac-
teristic attack against the Shipping
Board emanatng from a certain quar-
ter, re the sale Of the ex- German pas
songer ships, may ! re-state the simple
facts?
"1.-Thc ships are to be sold to
Americans only, and will sail under the
American flag, will serve the routes
which, in the opinion of the Shipping
Board, will best serve American COM
mcrce, and will always be available to
the government in case of any national
emergency.
"o.-None of the ships will be sold to
England, or to any foreign person, cor
poration or country, and will not be
sold to a single company or single in
terest, but to as many companies as
possible.
"3.-Before deciding to offer the
ships for sale the board asccrtained:
"A.--That to make them over from
troop to passenger ships, as must
be done in the case Of twenty OF these
to be sold, will cost $57,o00,o00, and
the others in the same proportion.
We did not deem it wise to make such
an expenditure of public money.
"B.-In view of prohibition, and of
the actual conditions, the board
deemed it probable that passenger
ships could not be operated by the
Shipping Board at a proft-lndeed,
it feared that serious losses would
result.
"a. The scarcity Of tonnage and the
present need for passenger ships makes
this perhaps the best possible time to
IL. :,,Io do n
licve we can ever get more for them
than now.
20. The greatest possible publicity
has attended every step we have taken.
Bids were invited, and after these were
received the proposed sale has been in
the press for days with the statement
tnat on Monday next at 10 o'clock we
would have a public auction sale at the
office of the board and thus sell the
ships, and everyone, including our crit
les, is invited to attend.
"Yours, with great respect,
JOHN BARTON PAYNE,
Chairman.
Ashurst Resolution Tabled
The Ashurst resolution was tabled by
the Senate late to-day after Judge
Payne had testified before the Com
"The Shipping Board has not agreed
to sell all of the thirty ships to one
company, as is charged" said Senator
Jones in the Senate after the COM
mittee meeting. "The charge is alb
solutely bascess. 1t is not true; OH the
contrary. the board has formally passed
a resolution to the effect that it will not
sell all Of the ships to one company.
"'rhe Shipping Board has not &C
ceptod any bids, but has called for ad-
ditfonal bids It will hold its auction
on Monday, when the opportunity will
be given to everybody to come in and
bid. The proposals will be opened
publicly and the government is not
bound to accept any of them.
The committee submitted ii propo-
sition to Judge Payne which he ac-
cepted. The board will consider the
bids after they are opened on Mon
day, but before the board takes any
action on them Judge Payne will ap-
pear before the committee and present
the bids that have been received, to-
gether with all other matters pertain
ing to the sale of the ships. The com
mittce will then know all the facts
and can make its recommendations If
the committee or the Senate then feels
that he ships should not be sold the
sale can be prevented"