The Washington herald., 1921-08-02
la TOILETTE SEES
PLOT AGAINST us.
MERCHANT MARINE
Charges U. s. Rail Heads
Joined With British
To Undermine 1t.
URGES DEEP PROBE
Senator Says Shipping Board
Has Let American Control.
Slip to EngIand's Hands.

British domination Of the Ameri-
can merchant marine was charged
In the Senate yesterday by Senator
La Toilette, of Wisconsin. In re-
suming his speech In behalf OF his
resolution calling for an invesa-
CATION of the governments ship
ping policies.
The senator also declared that
powerful railroad magnates. put
ting profits above patriotism. had
formed a combination with Briisn
shipping interests to transport ~,
the foreign shipments they control
IN British vessels.
Refers to Report.
In support Of his charges Senator
La Toilette referred to the report
made to the Shipping Board last
March by Roscoe c. Mitchell. as
sistant to the special American
shipping commissioner In Europe. IN
which he declared that the BRUSH
were conducting an active propa-
ganda campaign. within our own
borders" to discredit the merchant
marine. $3.50.
He also quoted from the sensa-
tional speech made last January Py
Senator Jones, OF washington
chairman of the Senate Commerce
tCommittee and author OF the, pres
ent shipping act in which he stated
that the British were determined
to retain their maritime supremacy
and were willing to go to any
length to do 1t.
Senator La Toilette declared the
British had gained control OF the
nations merchant marine through
companies that were posing as
American concerns but were In re-
ality English. To these, he said,
the Shipping Board had all coated
its finest vessels.
As tyical Of the workings Of this
plan, he cited the International Mer-
chant Marine. This company. he
asserted, masquerading as an
American shipping corporation. Is
operating a number Of the govern
ment's vessels. though II is merely
a holding company for British ship
ing corporations"
Not the Only One.
81 am not saying that this corr
2any is the only so-called American
company dominated by British in
terests." the Senator said. Il am
merely using II as an illustration
as a cross-section of our merchant
marine-to exhibit the manner in
which the British influence perme-
ates the whole organization. There
are other shipping concerns claim
ing to be 100 per cent American
which 1 believe are Just as bad and
perhaps worse"
As a part Of his speech, Senator
La Toilette read from a contract
entered into in 1908 between the
British government and the Inter-
national Mercantile Marine. In
which the latter bound itself for
twenty years to- pursue no policy
that would be Injurious TO
British shipping or trade" The
contract, as quoted By the Senator.
also contained provisions in respect
to the employment Of British crews
or the ships operated by the com
pany, and otherwise placing them
within the complete jurisdiction Of
the British government.
''It Is evident from this contract.
| the Senator asserted. that this
company is completely controlled
by the British government" Con-
tinuing, he said:
1T must vote the stock It holds
for British directors and. moreover
for British directors satisfactory to
the British government. The Brit
ish directors, in turn. absolutely
control the management of their
subsidiary companies. They route
the ships. they fix the rates. they
man and officer the ships with Brit
ish subjects, and hold their ships at
all times subject to the orders of
the British navy. At any time the
ships this company controls may
be taken over by the British au-
thorities."