New-York tribune., 1921-03-07
World Pact to
Lay Up Vessels
Is Advocated
Only Way That Ships Can Be
Run Profitably Under the
Prevailing Conditions.
Says ]. Herbert Anderson
Sale of Surplus Is Urged
NJ Restrictions as to Flag
Transfer Suggested; U. S.
Fleet Is Badly Balanced

An agreement between maritime ma
scn for pro rata withdrawal of ocean
yoing shipping until foreign commerce
bows q material Improvement is sug.
|. -.sted by J. Herbert Anderson. of the
anderson Overseas Corporation, as the
,uly way to insure profitable opera
,on Of vessels under present condi-
apss.
Ia statement reviewing the ship
,inr situation Mr. Anderson says that
. make possible the sale of the gov
gsmsRt-owned tonnage TO private buy
,rs the ships must Re made to ray.
10 accomplish this" he adds, sI be-
gsvs there IS only one logical way, and
tia. is to cut down the size of eur
spsratinc feet and to continue TO cut
/, down until what is left can be
operated at q profit. Admiral Benson.
no doubt, realizes this. fer he is stead
iy laying Up ships in large numbers.
When profits can be shown buyers will
rssnpear.
This program CT laying up surplus
tsnlage ought not, however, TO be
undertaken by America alone. On the
c,ntrary, we should seek an agree
MT with the other maritime nations
.c withdraw tonnage, pro rata, until
the worlds trade radically improves. &"
United States Fleet Badly Balanced
Is a result OF the necessities Of war
obstruction. Mr. Anderson points cut.
tie United States has q badly balanced
merchant feet
"The Shipping Board" he says. had
10 opportunity 20 select the types OF
vessels which were best suited to our
commercial needs. The sole question
vas, nat type OF vessel could the
builder build The result was inevita-
he. The AXE yards could oui q on.v
ships which could pass through the
locks and reach the sea, so thew built
the so-called 'lake-type' ships. to the
absolute limit OF their capacity. and
the other yards, old and new. standard
led their designs so as to secure q
maximum production, and turned out
IS many ships as they could on the one
pattern.
Thus. We find ourselves to-day the
pussessors OF feet of tramp steam
ers, with surplus of every type that
was built We have more standardized
laks-type' vessels than We can use on
The lakes Or coastwise for fifty years
70 come, and they viii not wait that
long to be used. We have more fabri-
tsieG o,0JU- TONERS Vnlcn are ucl1aer
lake nor coxstwise mar trans
Oessnic) than American private opera
tors can utilize for the same half cen
tury. We have 4 feet OF Hog Island
Jpe' fabricated ships entirely out Of
proportion 70 our needs in peace times.
American Ships Handicapped
Add TO this our standardized 800
ionners, our standardized 8,8O0-t -toaners
aud our 9,400 and $500 tonners, and
With few exceptions you have our
great government-owne merchant
aset. Built under terrific pressure and
a. speed previously unheard of, much
Of the workmanship was bad; but.
iaT!ng aside all questions OF faulty
obstruction and inferior design. and
asallng only with that which IS good.
we are still at q tremendous disadvan-
age. We have practically no real line
ships at all
Instead OF seeking to maintain
american tonnage at high figures, Mr..
anderson says, the surplus of every
'9pe should be disposed of to any
0shsr who will buy, no matter what
as nationality, with freedom TO trans
'ef the flag and with liberal terms.