The New York herald., 1922-07-22
BRITISH COAL MAY
HELP BREAK STRIKE
Shipping Board Charters Is
ycsseIs-5OO,O 900 Tons Due
Here August 1.
CAN USE 500 SHIPS LATER
Vessels Could Bring Two Mil
lion Tons Monthly-Price
Is $40 at Dock.

The first big step here to break the
strike Of the miners through the i'm
portation OF European coal was taken
yesterday when thirteen ships now
abroad were chartered to bring back
cargoes OF coal amounting to more
than 500, 900 tons and deliver them to
this city between August / and Is.
This became known when Albert D.
Laslter chairman. said yesterday that
in the event Of serious shortage the
vessels Of the Shipping Board and
Emergency Fleet Corporation will be
in a position to transport more than
100000 tons Of coal month from
England.
That the coal importations VIII con-
tinue at regular intervals as long as
the demand is heavy was indicated
when It was stated In shipping circles
that purchases in England yesterday
Of 100000 tons OF coal were reported.
The buyers mentioned were the Della
ware, Lackawanna and Western Rail-
road, the Central Railroad of New Jer-
sey, the Interborough Rapid Transit
Company and several sugar refineries
with plants hereabout.
The coal. arriving about August l..
will sell for $40 at the docksde. and
there will be plenty available at the
same price or even lower should the
Shipping Board go on with the plans
for reconditioning and putting into SER
vice some of the 400 additional vessels
which II has at its disposal.
seven shiIIings for Freight.
The Shipping Board also announced
yesterday that II had made a charter
rate of seven shiIlings a ton for the
country. Under the present conditions.
with some is7 ships in the Northern
European service. which can he i'm
pressed into the coal service between
here and Great Britain. the Shipping
Board can assure the importation Of
100000 tons of coal. With the addi-
tional ships which the board can shortly
put into service monthly Importation
of more than 100000 tons OF coal at
current prices. or lower. can be placed
at the New York docks.
]. Barstow Smull vice-president OF
the board said that the thirteen ships
chartered carried approximately 1000
tons each. There are also between fifty
and sixty vessels in European ports or
bound for English and other ports which
can be impressed into the work OF bring
ing the coal from the British mines to
this country. Should the demand for
fpc n
viii be able to take the 167 steamships
now plying between here and European
ports and turn them into coal carrying
vessels.
Can Brtnx 100000 Tons n Month.
Then. IN the event OF the coal strike
reaching a deadlock, making the coal
demand serious. there are the 400 addl-
tionai vessels that can be put into opera
ton within the next six weeks or two
months.
The coal brought here by the vesyels
Of the American fleet will naturally be
distributed mainly TO New York and
adjoining territory. Mr.. Siuull said.
however that IL Il IL demanded coal can
be sent 60 Norfolk. Boston. Newport
News. Baltimore or other Eastern cites.
whero II could he delivered to the port
and would not require extensive railroad
transportation. The parts OF tho coun-
try which could not be materially aided
by the shipments of British coal would
be the central and mid Western States,
or States which could not be readily
reached from Atlantic ports.
The Pacific coast is virtually assured
Of It's coal supply from the Canadian
mines and from Japan. Coal received
az the seaboard on the west or east can
be transported to a certain distance In
land without tho rates rising materially
but tho interior OF the country would
not benefit greatly by tho coal ship
ments n the railroad workers decide to
continue their struggle with the owners