The Washington times., 1922-07-01
PLOTS
To RETARD ] {.
SUBSIDY PLAN
Discrimina alton Against Vessels
at Suez Reported to State
Department. 49,
By Cosmopolitan New. Service.

The American Consul at Alexan.
dria. Egypt. has reported to the
State Department regarding discrim.
ina ton practiced against American
tank steamers in the use Of the
Suez Canal. BY the terms OF new
rules Of the company operating the
Suez Canal, all steamers carrying
cargoes OF petroleum or benzine
must be specifically classed for this
service as OF highest class in Lloyds
or the British Corporation, OF Great
Britain, the Bureau Veritas OF
France. or German Lloyds.
The American Bureau Of Shipping
is completely ignored in the rules
recently made public. America. with
over 500. 900 tons Of tank vessels.
Is sharply Disseminated against.
Congressman Edmonds, OF Pennsyl'
vania, chairman Of the subcommittee
which redrafted the ship SUBSIDY
measure. has called the attention OF
the country to this fact.
Knows Of State Dept. Report.
Il cannot foretell what the State
Department is going to do about this
discrimination" he said today. Il
know that the matter has been re.
ported to the Department from
Alexandria. Egypt. On the face OF
the thing, II looks a trivial matter,
but II Is far from that.
TT Is all a part Of the effort
to cripple the American merchant
marine. All Of this fuss about liquor
on Shipping Board vessels Is not
directed against the fact that liquor
la served on board those vessels. but
In order to drive prospective pass
engers to ships OF other lines.
Continual little stumbling blocks
for American shipping are being PIT
in our path by British shipping In
terests. The Suez Canal business Ia
a sample. While the company ope'
rating the canal Is a private corpor'
alton, yet nearly half Of the stock
is owned outright by the British gov
ernment. which naturally has a great
teal to say in the management, te'
ing the largest stockholder.
Another thing put in our path Is
. ruling that immigrants cannot
ieave certain British ports for the
United States on ships using GER
aiii composition for deck covering
This composition is used on many
American vessels on top of decks,
and has worked very well. The
British tried to make the, same stuff
and failed. They now claim that this
composition rots the plates Of the
vessels. 1t is easily seen how this
works against American shipping.
Possibly, now that the thing Is
getting q thorough airing, the Suez
Canal people will readily accede to
our desire that ships classed under
the American Bureau OF Shipping
will have the rights Of the canal and
it's ports. II they do not, the thing
to do would be to give American
vessels free passage through the
Panama Canal.
'sOn the surface, the action Of the
Seuz Canal corporation looks like
an effort to force American ships to
he passed upon by Lloyd's.
AS our law ccmpels the all.Gov.
crnment vessels to be registered
with the American Bureau OF Ship
wing, this would force two reg.stra-
tons for them, and two fees.
Another important angle Of the
situation, II American vessels were
forced to register with Lloyds," Mr.,
Edmonds continued. rs that every
last detail of construction, speed
and the like. of all OF our merchant
vessels, would be known to England
In case OF war, remote though that
possibility In, this knowledge would
Be Invaluable to an enemy. With
merchant ships in use az conveys
ard In provisioning the hattie feet
the vulnerable spots OF our erstwhil,
peaceful vessels could be founs
merely by turning to records alread,