The New York herald., 1921-10-06
LA%ER fights PLOT
AGAINST our MARINE
Foreign Interests Working
Silently, He Reveals to
Advertising Men. o
MONEY LOSS CHECKED
"a e --
Ship Board After Is Weeks
Is Ready to Help Build
for Prosperity.
TRADE HANGS ON VESSELS
Harding Commissioners and
Other Prominent Men at
Luncheon.
MONEY LOSS CHECKED
TRADE HANGS ON VESSELS

Charges that foreign shipping in.
terests are working silently to under
mine possibility of an American NOR.
chant marine" were made yesterda,
by Albert D. Lasler. chairman Of ths
shipping Board. at a luncheon by thu
Advertising Club OF New York at the
Commodore.
Seemingly insurmountable obstacles
must be met by the board, Mr.. Laske,
said, IN Ats efforts to apply the Jone.
act to American shipping. Some Ameri.
can ship owners, Mr.. Lasker asserted
feel secure In present conditions and
are ioath to assist In bringing about a
change. The future prosperity of The
country. he said, depends on the sue
cessful establishment Of an American
merchant marine. < il -
As q result OF sixteen weeks OF work
by the new Shipping Board. Chairman
Lasker expressed the opinion thai
financial loss has been checked. The
successful operation Of the vessels
controlled by the board, he said. con-
stituted the nations only assured hope
of world trade, which means pros.
perity and happiness for the country.
Board Agrees with Him.
Mr.. Lasker's colleagues on the Ship
ping Board were at the luncheon. and
tleir Views on the situation coincide
fully witt, his own. he told his hearers,
Among those at the speakers table
were Frank e. Fehlman. Frederick A.
Wallis, Commissioner OF Immigration
the Rev Newell Dwight Hills. George
l.. Brown, II, ". B.. Darlington. Kermit
Roosevelt, Alan Hartman. Jr.: Henry
II. Curran. President Of the Borough oi
Manhattan: William A. Prendergast
chairman Of the Public Service Commits.
sion: Cyrus H. X. Curtis. Isaac F. Mar.
cosson. James w. Gerard, Arthur Bris-
bane. Oliver p. Merrill, Saunders Nor.
veli R II. Lee and Paul Block. Others
we're Gsorge Il. Chamberlain. Meyer
Lisencr. Frederick I. Thompson, T. "
OConncr, Edward c. Plummer and Rear
Admiral w. 8. Benson. Commissioner
Of the Shipping Board.
Mr.. Lasker laid emphasis on the fac
that the United States. is no longer q
virgin nation. but mandatory Of sur.
pluses which must be disposed OF abroat
and exported I'm American built owned
and operated bottoms. ~ a..
Generally speaking" he said, 9TH,
last 10 per cent of production makes
the market. And It is this last 10 pei
cent. that we must insure disposal of te
customers in foreign lands. Except with
o merchant marine under our own con
troll there can be NO assurance Of these
essential markets"
I'VE have to-day the second larges,
navy IN the world" said Mr.. Lasker
'and who can promise that In the next
war we can call on allies for the bot
toms needed to transport our army and
feed and supply 1t and our navy? So,
from the standpoint Of peace or the
standpoint OF war. Americas stability
calls for the insurance OF q rnerchan,
marine. Thus. an interest in the prob
lem and a sacrifice for itS euccessful
fruition becomes as important to the
inland dweller az to the coastal popu-
lation.
sixteen weeks ago to-day the pres.
ent United States Shipping Board tool,
The oath of ofiice and entered upon the
stupendous task assigned II. This child
OF wars necessity had grown to huge
proportions under guch conditions as to
present to the new board task sc
tremendous that no ono not directly as
sociated with II can have q remote COM
prehension Of It's magnitude.
These sixteen weeks Of strenuous en-
6eavor have accomplished only q mere
beginning. but real beginning. Of the
foundation upon which a substantial
structure OF accomplishment, we hope
may, In good time. be erected. In June
last the overhead shore organization OF
the board and tho Emergency Fleet Cor
poration consisted of some $500 people
at an annual salary expense Of near
ly sis.0e0.ooo. but in spite OF this huge
Organization II was necessary for the
tirely new body Of executives to handle
the work that It found awaiting It.
''As the summer passed II became nee
essary TO go to Congress for more funds
no appropriation having been voted fov
the current fiscal year to the old board
The urgent deficiency bill carried e4e.
SOC. 900. which was given to the board
and the Fleet Corporation for the pur.
pose OF meeting current expenses Ir
addition. tho board had already beer
voted tz5. .0o0. 600 TO. finish the last OF ths
ships under construction and was per.
mitted to use SsB. 100000 more for II,
current expenses, provided Il could flnt
such sum or any part thereof from the
liquidation Of its assets. At the moment
Il would appear impossible. without ar
unconscionabie sacrifice Of assets Il
realize any material part Of this e5s. .00o..
900 within the immediate reasonable
future.
No Accounting systen.
'-The new board found no financial
statements Of the condition Of the board
either as to capital expenditures or op-
Grating history. which any business OF
business man could use as q guide. Tho
accounting system that started with the
operation OF ships had simply collapsed
and the new boards Immediate problem
was TO create a system OF accounting
that would truly mirror the business oi
the corporation.
s~ro build such an accounting and
financial system on the shattered frng-
nents that we found awaiting us wal
task In itself to challenge the ingeni'
fly of any Organization After sixtcer
weehs we md ourselves with the frame
work of our human organisation (ac.
counting, operating. financial, legal and
iiquidation) practically completed.
with liz new and. what " considered
IN sonne quarters, high priced additions
t1se salary roll Of nearly $4,000. 900 OF
Juno last has decreased 20 approximately
$4,000 900. and the number OF employees
represented by this pay RON to less than
5000 Financial reports are beginning
- yurna In. On September % We had
eur cash statement as Of August 81. The
second cash statement that II has beer
g A. Ill