The New York herald., 1921-06-28
MERCHANT VESSELS
|. TO Be KEPT AFLOAT
New Shipping Board Faces
Gigantic Task in
It's Effort.
CLAIMS ARE $300.O00,0O0
Operating Loss at Present
Is Estimated to Be $16,-
000,000 a Month.
WANTS LESS OWNERSHIP
Senator Fernald Says Govern
ment Can't Successfully
Conduct Business.
WANTS LESS OWNERSHIP
Special Despatch 10 THE NEW York HERALr
New York Herald Bureau,
WASHINGTON. ID. C.. June p.


Washington, ID. C., june %.
Congress stands ready to give whole
hearted support 10 Albert D. Lasler,
chairman. and the other members Of
the new shipping board in their efforts
to salvage what Mr.. Lasker calls "the
most colossal commercial wreck in the
history of the word"
Leaders of the Senate and House
who control appropriations are willing
to vote sufficient money to keep the
American merchant fleet on the seas
during the present depression and
while the new board is trying to find
means to stop the stupendous operat-
ing loss of $4,000. 900 a month and to
settle 100000 900 of outstanding
Claims.
Senators and Representatives who ex-
pressed their views to THE NEW YORK
HERALD to-day agreed that the Shipping
Board faces a gigantic but not hope
,eks problem. Their opinions as to what
should be done may be summed up as
follows:
/. Primarily, the United States
merchant feet, built up at such great
cost during the war, must not be
allowed to disappear from the high
seas
2. If it is necessary to take a loss
for a time on the operation of this
fleet, or so much of it as the board
deems proper to keep going, the loss
should be cheerfully met by Conges-
sional appropriations, provided the
new board puts its operating expenses
on the lowest possible economical
basis
3. The Government should go out
of the shipping business as rapidly as
the Shipping Board can dispose of its
vessels at a fair price to concerns
able TO maintain a privately owned
and privately operated American
merchant marine
Members of the Senate Committee on
Commerce and the House Committee on
Merchant Iarine and Fisheries as well
as the members of the two appropria-
tions committees realize that 1t prob
ably win be necessary TO operate the
Government ships at a loss for con-
siderable period and are not disturbed
particularly by that fact. They know
that Govern ment aid is being given by
other countries to keep their merchant
fleets from going to the wall during the
worldwide depression in the shipping
business.
Sentor Fernald of Maine. one of the
most influential members OF the COM
merce Committee. VINO has given years
of study to the development OF the
American merchant marine. said to THE
NEW YoRIl HERALD to-day
1.-The new Shipping Board faces an ad-
mttedly difficult problem. The men,
bers of the board know that Congress
and the country are insistent upon econ
oiny and likewise upon an adequate
American merchant marine. Those ia
miliar with the situation know that for
time we must operate our ships at a
loss.
What l believe the new board ought
to do is to get out of ship operation and
the shipping business at the earliest pos
sible moment. [ have every confidence
in the members of the board from the
chairman down. and they should have
the cooperation of every interest con-
cerned. but / believe that no business
can be successfully operated by the Gov
ernment. We must have less Govern
ment ownership and control OF every
thing and let the business world work
out Its own problems"
About sixtyhve of the Shipping Board
steel vessels. mostly small freighters.
are tied up for want of cargoes There
are dDOul pVO Steel Vessels ana 90
wooden vessels owned by the Govern
ment which are tied up because they are
unfit for operation or unsuited to the
trade routes.
Senator Jones tWash.). chairman of
the Committee on Commerce and author
of the present shipping law. believes 1t
is highly important that American ships
should be kept gong even at a loss in
order to maintain and develop trade
routes and hold business for the Ameri-
can merchant fleet which might other
wise get into foreign hands and remain
there Indefinitely.