The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-11-02
Declares Roads Have
Agreements Giving
Preference TIC Foreign
ers In Matter of Rates
and Terminal Facilities,
Especially In the East

Especially In the East
New York, Noy. 2.-Foreign com
p"tfi,h aided and abctted by Amer
leans was declared today by United
States Senator Joseph f. Ransdell.
Louisiana. in an address before The
Advertising Club to be "One of the
underlying causes that are crppling
the American Merchant Marine"
Nearly score of American rail
roads. he said including some of the
great systems. have filed with the In
tcrstate Commerce Commission
copies Of contracts in which they
agreed to use their best efforts to Sc
cure freight fer foreign shipping
companies to the exclusion OF others"
Roads Aid Foreigners
Senator Ransdell cited as examples
contracts between the Pennsylvania
system and Furnrss, Witty and Com
pany. british corporation; between
tn" Baltimore and Ohio railroad and
the North German Lloyd Line and
the Boston and Albany railroad and
the Cunard line.
Exclusive Use of facilities is
granted in many cases" the speaker
said. Free Wharfage and freight
randline is given; special arrange
m"nts on their through bills of lad
in@ are made. and other privileges
accorded
The Boston and Albany railroad. in
its agreement with the Cunard line,
Grants the free and exclusive use of
certain piers. and in addition further
,1f,,l
reduced rate OF 2l2 cents per hundred
pounds ior freight in carload lots.
Assist Foreign Ships
We'll over a 1.0O0000 tons of
lrrieht are turned over annually by
these companies to foreign ships. A
most amazing aspect of the situation,
however is that the railroads, sup
piled with funds from the United
States treasury nave been utilizing
their resources TO build up the bust
ness and swell the profits of foreign
competitors of the Governments ship
ping. In other words the govern
ment of the nited States is placed
IN the position OF using its money to
foster competition with itself If
American railroads are not prepared
To give 10 the American merchant ma
r'ne the same aid they extend to for
eigners. steps should be taken to end
these conditions"
American Ship Owners Blamed
Aside from foreign competition
failure OF American ship owners to
assure "drpcndablity of service" was
declared by Senator Ransdcll to be
a probable explanation for the trans
p0rtation OF such large proportion
OF American commerce in alien bot
toms.
Enforcement of the merchant ma
rine act of 1920. especially of those
sections providing for the mainten-
ance of new trade routes. equality of
opportunity for American ports gen
orally preferential rail rates on ship
mrnts by American vessels and dis
eliminating duties and tonnage dues"
was recommended by MI Ransdell
THE shipping problem is not sec
tional one. but "A national one" he
said, and 4 solution is possible only
with the cooperation of all parts OF
the United States.
Tested and Found Wanting
The one great outstanding fact is
that the government-Owned American
merchant marine has been put to the
acid test of competition and has been
found wanting. For year and half
there has been on the statute books
OF the nation provisions that would
have enabled us to obtain and retain
q Just and profitable share of our own
carrying trade if they had been en-
forced
Il know of no stronger argument
for the efficiency of the Jones bill
tllan these threats of retaliation
These cries OF retaliation do not lack
echoes in this country, hut trace those
echoes TO their source and you will
find yourselves in the strongholds of
the international Americans whose
foreign business connections are more
precious to them than the welfare of
the United States"