The New York herald., 1922-01-18
GREAT ship Combine
STIRSPAC|FIC CITIES
Establishment of Merchant
Marine Seen in Ship
Board Call.
PLAN $3O,OOO,OOO POOL
Opening of Trade Routes to
All Points in the Orient
Is Forecast.
TO ALLOCATE VESSELS
Chambers of Commerce Name
Delegates to San Fran
cisco Meeting.

Special Dispatch to THE NEW YogK HERALD.
San Francisco. Jan. 17.--Interest Is
Keen in shipping and commercial cir
cles in this city and in all Pacific
coast ports from San Diego to Seattle
over the conference which opens here
next Friday to discuss and take action
on plans of the United States Shipping
Board to form $30.000,000 shipping
company to operate vessels on the
trade routes of the Pacific.
Interest has been growing since the
project was first spoken of in the lat
ter part of December by Herbert
Fleishhacker, president of the Anglo
and London, and Paris National Bank
Of this city, when he returned from
Washington whittier he was called by
President Harding and Chairman Las
kcr of the Shipping Board to suggest
some method of solving the shipping
tangle.
Chambers of commerce of seaboard
cities realized the Importance of the
movement and announced their inten-
ton of sending representatives to the
meeting. The San Francisco chamber
took the lead in bringing about the con-
ference, and it was notified that the
following cities would be represented by
committees: San Diego, Los Angeles.
Oakland. Portland. Tacoma, Astoria and
Seattle. These committees will consist
Of from five to nine members each.
Stcn mship Men Active.
Tho following named steamship in
terests also have been asked to send rep
resentatives to the conference: Pacific
Mail Steamship Company. Robert Dollar
Company. Oceanic Steamship Company.
Matson Navigation Company. Pacific
Steamship Company. Frank Waterhouse
G. Co. Dawson Steamship Line and Los
Angeles Steamship Company. Others. 1t
is expected. will be represented.
While the lines aiong which the con-
ference will work can. OF course, only
be surmised, 1t is generally conceded
the outcome will be the formation of the
Pacific coast shipping pool or corpora
ton. with a capital of s30.000.o00 as
the Gst method OF establishing the
American merchant marine In the Pa
cific in competition with ships Of other
nations.
The pool would be financed by
rnoneyed men in the cities that will be
benefited by the plan. The steamships
are 20 be purchased from the Shipping
Board.
Under the plan which has been out
lined by Mr. Fleishhacker the Shipping
Board vessels would not be allocated TO
any particular port. but would go to
the shipping combine. which would cover
the coast from Puget Sound TO San
Diego and would operate along the lines
Of the International Mercantile Marine
on the Atlantic coast.
BY this means. It Is believed. semi
monthly sailings could be made regu-
larly with full cargoes and ships could
be diverted from Improbable sailings
to those which would be profitable. The
great fleet of merchant ships also could
be kept In an organization so smoothly
working as to be of advantage in the
event of any trouble.
Lets u. q. out OF Middle.
The suggested combination would fur
nlsh means for the Government 10
get out OF the apparently nOpeiebS fnuu-
die into which it has been steadily sink
ing since the signing OF the arnistce.
IL IL was not already In the quicksands
before them
Suggestions for the financing OF the
shipping merger are to be worked out
and there are many minor details which
will have to be settled before the com
bination can be put into working order.
but IL the main details can be agreed
work themselves out In time.
"My suggestions as laid before the
officials In Washington were only ten
tatiye," Mr.. Fleishhacker said to-day.
''The inclination to give consideration
10 the plan when arranged more In
detail Is evidence that IL it can be
brought to a successful issue II will
have official approval. The shipping In
terests OF the Pacific coast must agree
upon some definite method OF handling
the problem or they will face serious
complications.
"The International Mercantile Marine
plan seems 90 offer the best promise.
When / go back In thirty days I hope
TO have the plans worked out TO n point
where ] can present a comprehensive
scheme TO the Shipping Board
n is expected the rivalry among coast
cities to obtain advantageous allocations
will be a lively feature OF the conference.
but shipping men say they are confident
all problems will be worked out along
lines and in accordance with
rtonc 70 ho prcroptnd