Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-17
Admiral Benson 5 Service As
Head of the Shibb;ng Board
= INSIDE Of a little group Of special
J interests, there will be no demurrers,

~ INSIDE of little group of special
4 interests, there will be no demurrers,
we believe to the widely voiced ar
guments for the retention of dmiral Ben
son as chairman of the United States Ship
ping Board. The gist of competent and I'M
prejudiced judgment is well expressed by
the SOUTH ATLANTIC PORTS magazine
when it says in it's February issue; His
record as a sterling American citizen, to-
gether with his superior qualifications for
the important work of building and sustain
ing an American merchant marine, make
him the ideal mai TO the position" 1t is
true as this observer points out, that by
''the fearless and uncomprOmiSlng execution
of his duties he has incurred the intense
! dislike of certain interests that would de-
stroy the larger opportunities Of the Amerl-
can merchant marine and ride ruthlessly
over the common rights of American COM
merce, if thereby they might serve what
they conceive to be their own adVan-
tage But for the ver..- reason t. at he has
resisted these forces so effectually and that
as long as his hand is at the Leln1 their
designs will be unavailing, he ought to be
r~tained.
Especially is this tru in the light of re-
cent reports touching the type OF partlzan
thai Admiral Benson invidious critics nave
in mind as his successor. 1T is generally
recognized," says the Florida Metropolis,
that number Of large transportation or
CARNATIONS are working for Easte4n ports
Ito the arbitrary exclusion Of others) be-
cause their trunk lines empty INTO these;
and we learn from reliable source that the
man being suggested FOR the Craftsmanship
of the Shipping Board is directly connect
ed with one of these organizations" An ap-
pointment of this character would be vlr-
tually a cotice to the shippers of the Cen
trail West that they must bend their broad
interests and their natural economic rights
+Io fxyro Of frQn ia o.
polists. Think of placing control of the Ship
ping Board under the influence Of railway
cliques whose purpose it is to force export
traffic along Northeastern lines to North
eastern outlets, regardless of the wishes and
welfare of those producing this traffic! In
many cases Middle Western merchants and
man ufacturers find it economical, expedi-
tiosu and altogether desirable to route their
foreign-bound cargoes over southern rail-
roads and through Southern ports. To them
the monopoly seekers would say in effect,
You shall not turn to the South Atlantic
and the Gulf, nor shall the PORTS of those
regions be upbuilt and suffered to compete
with out snug old privilege" That is to say.
the common rights of American business
and the multiplying needs Of American eX-
port commerce are not to be considered when
they come into conflict with sectional bias
and group favoritism!
1t is from these very interests, ironically
enough, that the factless talk of Admiral
Benson's having favored" Southern ports
has emanated. He has favored no ports
Southern or Northern; and that is why
forces of special privilege find his admins
tration Objectionable. He has, advanced and
vigorously sustained the policy that the ma
tion's outgoing commerce should not be
kept dependent upon one or two overcroWd-
ed and altogether Inadequate Eastern gate
WAYS Not to see the merit OF this position
is to ignore one of the plainest lessons OF
the war; Repeatedly in the stresstul years
from 1914 EDWARDS, the practice OF trying
to crowd the larger part OF the continent
export business through the congested port
of New York proved highly injurious to the
public, and at length became grave men
ace to the successful prosecution of the
war. It vas in the midst of those critical
times that Southern ports demonstrated their
immense value to the nation. Commodlous
ice-free. accessible by trunk lines of railways
from great producing territories and afford
ing in many cases the directest route to
overseas destinations, these Southern harbors
solved problem after problem Of the tan
gled war times, and came at last into the
beginning of their own.
Under the Shipping Boards enlightened
policy the natural process thus pegun mas
been permitted to continue, Admlral Ben
son has refused to discriminate against the
ports of this region and against the coun
trv's broadcast interests, merely to please d
eroup of would-be transportation monopo
lists. That is why the latter oppose him. anu
that is a most ercellent reason, from t1e
standpoint of national welfare. for MS re-
tention by the incoming Administrator