The New York herald., 1922-04-25
ship BOARD DIRECTS
RATE WAR AND Will
BATTLE IN ALL SEAS
Orders Cuts i'm Rio Trade to
Beat Lamport & Holt
British Line.
LASKER IsDETERMINED
Says He Faces Great Test of
Whether Our Marine Is
to Stay on Ocean.
RETALIATION EXPECTED
Competitors Of Munson Oil
Burners Likely to Combat
American Bid for Business.


war between the Lamport & Holt
Line, which flies the British flag. and
the Munson Line, which runs under
the Stars and Stripes. will be directed
1t affects the action of the Munson
Line, which operates four swift oil
burners of the Shipping Board.
Chairman Lasker announced yester-
ing from $40 to $40 on one way trips
to Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo and
Buenos Aires and a carving of $50
from the recent cut of the Lamport
& Holt round trip to Rio of $500, cffcc-
tive July /.
The Iamport & Holt ships have had
practically a monopoly of first class
passenger service between New York
and the chief South American Allan
tic ports for many years, and ship
ping folk have known for some time
that the invasion of the Munson Line
had seriously affected the income of
the older lines ships.
Rate Cut "UnfriendIy."
Chairman Lasker issued veritable
battle blast against the British flag
line" declaring that the Shipping Board
took its action "as nothing but an. un-
friendly ono Intended to cripple the
American merchant marine and It's es-
tablishment OF the first high class SER
vice under the American flag between
North and South America" He con-
tinued:
"The whole action in cutting tho rates
without conference with us when we adj
NIT they should have been adjusted,
where We have been working so friend
ly, could only be interpreted as a decla-
ration OF war In this trade.
The basis Of the reason for this cut
ting is their claim that their ships are
inferior; but the working out of IL would
be that British flag ships would carry
the trade and the dream of the United
States for an American flag line be-
tween North and South America which
We now have represented such won
derful ships would be made Improbable
and discouraging
I'm the month of June. we understand,
Lamport & Holt are Withdrawing their
ships entirely for the one month and
putting them in the transatlantic trade
they only run two ships a month
Thus II we at all meet their rate they
want to put the burden Of loss on us
while they are profitably running their
ships in the North Atlantic"
Fight May He Worldwide.
Chairman Lasker paid tribute to the
four swift oil burners the Pan-America
Southern Cross, American Legion and
Western World. in the South American
trade. and continued:
THE Shipping Board believes that this
fight may be a test In all the oceans as
to whether America Is. to continue ex-
pandng its merchant marine and main
tanning 1t, and we are prepared to meet
the fight at every point for any length OF
time as we are meeting this one"
Mr.. LaslSer deplored the fight and said
the Shipping Board did not seek II that
II was in friendly relations with Lam
port & Holt and wanted to keep In
friendly relations with the privately
owned ships OF every flag. He went on
THE Shipping Board not only meets
Lamport & Holt's rates that they make
on their inferior ships but announces
rates effective at once OF $2s5 to Rio
de Janeiro. s345 to Montevideo and $3.50
to Buenos Aires. The round trip rate
at present is approximately $500. or
course. IL was always contemplated that
trl~
beginning in July because Of the expo
sition in Rio. Lsmport & Holt an
nounce for their inferior ships a round
trip rate Of $500 beginning July 1. Be-
ginning that date the Shipping Board
on It's magnificent ships announces a
round trip rate of $3.50"
Lasser Hopes for Results.
In closing Chairman Lasker said:
1--WE hope that with the superior SER
vice we have. as admitted by Lamport
& Holt. and the lower rates that we
give the trade will be so encouraged
that our net showing will be better than
before and that increasing numbers Of
Americans will get acquainted with
South America. Our hat is In the ring
and we are going to stick as long as
necessary TO insure the dominance of
American flag ships between North and
South America"
The Lamport g. Holt Line probably
will attract passengers to both lines.
stimulating what has been a rather
slow traffic between New York and the
Atlantic ports of South America
Tho Lamport 4 Holt line probably
will meet the reductions of the Munson
line to-day.