Arizona republican., 1921-01-21
SENATOR JONES CHARGES NEW YORK IN CONSPIRACY
 WITH BRITISH TO BLOCK U. 5. MERCANTILE MARINE
IRepubIlcan A. p. Leased WIreI

WASHINGTON. Jan. 20. Direct and implied criticism of the attitude of British and other foreign shipping interests toward the newly created American merchant marine permeated today's session of the second annual convention of the National Merchant Marine association.
 Senator Ransdel of Louisiana, as president, opened the convention with plea for "an American merchant ma rine, built. owned and operated by Americans, without the faintest sus- picion in their makeup of foreign sympathy" and Homer L. Ferguson, Newport News shipbuilder, concluded the days program with the declara- tion that the United States, if neces- sary, should adopt discriminatory leg islation to hold its place op the seas.
 The bomb shell. however. was set off by Senator Jones of Washington, chairman of the senate commerce committee and author of the merchant marine act. who declared that the In- ternational Mercantile Marine com pany was bound by an agreement with the British admiralty to conduct its business fin the interest of the British government and British trade" To support his statement. the senator read the text of an agreement which, he said. the International Mercantile Ma rine had entered Into in 1903 for 20 years. and following this with charges of attempts of British interests, aided. he said. by certain American inter- ests. to destroy the American merchant marine. He also declared that despite this agreement, the shipping board had leased 40 ships to the International Mercantile Marine.
 Senator Jones' disclosure brought an
 immediate reply from P. A. s. Frank
 Tn, president of the International
 Mercantile Marine. who accused the
 senator of being unfair" and added:
 All of these agreements to which
 he refers have been before the ship
 ping board and have been approved , Judge Payne. when he was chairman
 passed upon them and said they wer,
 quite satisfactory"
 In support of his charges that Amer.
 lean interests were aiding in the Brit ! tsh campaign against American ship ping, Senator Jones declared an agen
 of the shipping board in New Yorl . city. who. he said, was a former em ploye of the International Mercantil Marine company. had opposed the es
 tablishment of an American shipping line between New York and England , and admitted that his reason for doinl so was that 1t would 'injure the busi
 mess of British lines from New York The excerpts quoted from thi
 agreement of August. 1903" Senate Jones continued, do not leave tn, ? question open to doubt as to wher ? the International Mercantile Marin l company stands as regards British in terests. The question, then, naturall . arises, Where do British shipping in n terests center in the United States. l The answer is that they center almos
 entirely in the port of New York . where their large terminal investment h are located and from which most c 2 their tonnage on this side of the At = lantic sails.
 = Consequently. whatever benefits tn !. port of New York benefits the Britis h ship owners. A monopoly of expol
 freight sent through the port of Ne, if York spells greater profits for thes d British owners. It follows, then. tha ], the British shipping men are in accor Continued on Page Two)