Evening star., 1921-01-20
ZONES SEESP[0T
{. Of BRITISH TO KILL
NEW j. S. MARINE
Senator Says American Com
pany Aids War Against
Our Shipping.
HINTS BIG INTERESTS
HERE SUPPORTING PLAN
New York Official Accused of 0p-
posing q. S. Line to Help
England.

posing q. S. Line to Help
England.
British interests are endeavoring to
destroy the American merchant ma
1ne, Senator Wesley Ia Jones of
Washington, chairman OF the Senate
commerce committee, charged here to-
day before the convention Of the Ma
honal Merchant Marine Association.
at the Washington Hotel.
The senator named the international
Mercantile Marine Company, an Amer
lean concern, now operating approx
mately forty vessels leased from the
Shipping Board, as having entered
into an agreement with the British
government in 1903 to pursue "no
policy injurious to the interest OF the
British mercantile marine or Of Brit,
He also named as whiting or 1nwit-
ting agents Of British shipping inter
eH9 in their alleged campaign to
throttle the American merchant ma
nne the United States Chamber of
Commerce, the Chamber Of Commerce
OF the State Of New York, an agent
OF the United States Shipping Board
at New York. international bankers
and the heads of great railroads and
steamship companies.
FraakIin Attacks Charge.
Senator Jones declared the New
York Shipping Board agent referred
to was q. former employe of the Inter-
national Mercantile Marine COMPANY
HIS charges brought a sharp re-
Jolnder from p. A. S. Franklin. presi-
dent or the company, who asked who
the man was.
:. Senator Jones said he thought his
name was Mr.. Andrews"
We never had q man by that name,
declared Mr.. Franklin. who asked for
further Information as to the senators &
Senator Jones asked to be excused
saying he was compelled to return to
the Senate.
1T is manifestly Unfair and un
just" Mr. Franklin said, for q MEM
Der OF the Senate OF the United States
TO make such charges against the In
ternational Mercantile Marine. The
company is American. None but Amer
leans are on it's beard Of directors
Ninety-nine per cent of its stock is
held by Americans- It has invested in
British ships to the American dae. and
for us to be attacked 10 very JEafnir.
Instead of receiving credit fot the
work we have done for Amerfcan
SpIpping. we arS damSfAd tor ~
fd sssy ss e9 B. s
try were present when S66atot Joseph
e. Ransdell Of Louisiana. president or
the association. convened what may
prove to be an epoch-making confer
ence. called to consider means Of pre-
serving and developing the American
merchant marine.
Have Reaehed Critical Stage.
g., ~.
and the South Atlantic States Associa-
tion, which held meetings here yes
terday relative to waterways develop
ment and export freight rates, met
with the marine association this morn
ing.
The future of the American mer-
chant marine was admitted to be criti-
cal. The recent slump in shipping has
made it difficult for American com
panies, suffering from higher operaa-
ing costs. to compete successfully with
the fleets of other nations, it was
stated.
Senator Jones. author of the mer-
chant marine act of 1890. quoted, in
support of his charges, parts of the
text of the alleged agreement entered
into for a period of twenty years be-
tween the International Mercantile
Marine Company and the British gov
ernment.
The agreement, as quoted, reserved
the right of termination by the Brit
ish government in the event Of the
pursuance of any policy injurious to
the British mercantile marine, and
left the final decision, Gin case of any
difference as to the intent and mean
ing of this agreement or any dispute
arising Hereunder" to the lord high
chancellor OF Great Britain"
senator Jones In Specflc.
AS result of this agreement.
Senator Jones said. the steamship
lines owned by the international
Mercantile Company, as well Rs the
leased Shipping Board vessels now
under its control, are actually operat-
ed in the interest of the British gov
ernment and British trade and sub
jeet to the terms of the contract"
In support of his charges that
American interests were aiding in the
alleged British campaign against
American shipping, Senator Jones de-
clared an agent in New York city.
who. he said, was a former employe
of the International Mercantile Com
pany. had opposed the establishment
of an American shipping line be-
tween New York and England, and
admitted that his reason for doing so
was that it would 'fnjure the business
of the British lines from New York
agreement of August 1s03." Senator
Jones continued. do not leave the
question open to doubt as to where
the International Mercantile Company
stands as regards British interests.
The question then naturally arises.
Where do British shipping interests
center in the United States% The an
swer is that they center almost en-
tirely in the port Of New York, where
their large terminal investments are
located, and from which most of their
tonnage on this part of the Atlantic
sails.
consequently. whatever helps the
port Of New York benefits British
ship owners. A monopoly Of export
freight sent through the port of New
York spells greater profits for these
British owners. 1t follows, then, tina;
the British shipping men are in &C
way officials, who seek to cancel tho
present equalization Of export freight
rates from Central Freight Associa-
ton territory to gulf and south A.
iaitic ports"
British Line'a Head Namea.
The Washington senator declared
this accord was shown Whan the
New York State Chamber OF tyon:-
merce appointed a special committee
to confer with tho trunk line assn
citation last April to lay plans Tor a
fight to eliminate the existing equah-
zation Of export freight rateA and ap-
uointed as chairman OF tho committed
T,,Ios w, Cooke, American director OF
the British Cunard line.
.sTvhe chamber Of commerc0 OF the
state of New York is made up OF IL
bankers and the heads or
trreat railroads ard steamship coEt-
Senator Jones continued.
'.Phi;in A. s Frarkfss vics pres