New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-06-25
Greatest Commercial Dis
aster i'm World History,
New Head Declares; No
Early Relief Is Possible
Meets Operators
And Owners Here
Plans Partnership With
Them; Counsel Asks
Help of N. Y. Lawyers

The present United States Shipping
Board was characterized as "the great
est commercial wreck in the history Of
the world by Albert D. Lasker, new
chairman of the board, yesterday, on
his first visit to New York since his
appointment. He added that he saw no
signs of relief from conditions for sew
eral months, and said that he was
listening and Investigating" before
formulating definite policy Of reha-
bilitation.
Mr. Lasker saw newspaper men upon
his return to the Shipping Board Offices
at 45 Broadway from luncheon given
in his honor at the Whitehall Club by
w. G. Teagle, president of the Standard
Oil Company, where he met the leading
ship owners and operators of this city
and obtained their views on reconstruc-
tion.
Coincident with the luncheon, Elmer
Schlesinger, the newly appointed gem
eral counsel for the board, was acting
as host to a dozen Of the most promi-
nent lawyers of New York at the Bank
ers' Club, where he outlined briefly the
condition of the legal department AMI
| called for help from his auditors.
Shipowners Meet New Chairman
l. The luncheon given by Mr. Teagle
was attended by P. A. S. Franklin,
chairman of the board of directors of
MI o+i
Corporations; Alfred G. Smith, presl-
dent of the Ward Lines and the New
York and Cuba Mail Steamship Com
pany; H. H. Raymond, president of
the American Steamship Owners As
ISOLATION; w. Averill Hartman, chair
! man of the board of directors of the
American Ship and Commerce Corpora.
tion; Frank G. Munson, president of
| the Munson Lines; Oakley Wood, vice
! president of the Barber Steamship
/ Lines; E. F. Luckenbach, president OF
the Luckenbach Steamship Company;
p. M. Bull, ship broker; Franklin D
Mooney, president of the Atlantic Cult
and West Indies Steamship Company
! H. B. Walker, president of the Old
Dominion Line; c. w. Jungen, New
York representative of the Southern
Pacific Steamship Company; r. L
Hague, manager of the marine depart
ment of the Standard Oil Company OF
president of the American Steamship
Owners Association, and j. Parke,
Kirlin, of the firm of Kirlin, Woolsey
/ Campbell, Hickox & Keating, admi
rally lawyers.
Mr.. Teagle, who declined the chair
manship of the Shipping Board, said
the affair was given so that the leading
| shipowners and operators could meet
| Mr.. Lasker and exchange opinions witE
him. Little of what transpired at the
conference was divulged, but the press.
ing needs of the shipping situation
were thoroughly discussed.
.'The Shipping Board came into ex-
istence,' said Mr.. Lasker to newspaper
men, "as an exigency of war. It had
to manufacture ships in great guam.
titles to hasten the end of the conflict
That was done, and done so that it will
always remain a miracle of accomplish
ment. If the ships had been sunk al
the end of the war the investment
would have paid the cost
"We have decided to dispose of ali
the wooden ships before October ]
either by selling them as they are or by
scrapping them and selling them in
parts. The wooden ships were night.
mare.
Calls Benson's Work Heroic
"The United States Shipping Board
to-day is the greatest commercial
wreck the world ever knew. Admira,
Benson did remarkable work standing
almost alone to keep the wreckage to.
gether as best he could. The shipping
of the world has collapsed, and that is
true of the shipping under every flag.
"The Shipping Board fleet repre-
sents the greatest expansion in ths
known history of man, and with ths
! collapse of shipping you can imagine