New-York tribune., 1922-02-18
Entire Merchant Fleet.
From Leviathan toTugs,
Offered; Proceeds Fig
urcd at $2OO,0OO,OOO
Success Depends on
Subsidy's Passage
Ready Mart at Top Prices
Assured if Congress
Adopts Harding's Plan

From The 7ribunc's Wnshtngton Bureau
WASHINGTON, Feb. l7.-The entire
fleet of merchant ships owned by the
United States government will be Of
fercd for sale on February 3l, it was
announced to-day by Joseph ". Powell,
president Of the Emergency Fleet Cor
poraton The total of 40 vessels i'll
cluded is expected to net the govern
mcnt close to S200,00o,o 900, or an aver
age OF $40 ton
All classes and types of vessels will
be included in the sale, in the expecta-
ton that if the Administrations pro
posed subsidy bill is passed by Con
gress, the ships will find ready mar
Aet and assure large, permanent
Anne erican merchant marine
If the subsidy bill is passed." said
one official, "thc government will find a
ready market at the top world market
prices, but if government aid is re-
fused only a miraculous advance in
ocean-commcrcc will stimulate the mar
ket'
The government feet includes about
10000 900 tons of steel vessels, half Of
which, according to shipping authori-
tiese, will bring at least S35 a ton.
Also listed with the fleet is the Levla-
than and other former German passcn-
ger and cargo vessels.
The Fleet Corporation's ADVERTISE
mcnts will call for offers on all gov
ernmcnt tonnage, including tankcrs and
tugs, which have been appraised and are
I n hn RI al IN ! ,l-,,
No award will be made before March
IA, the date set for closing of bids 1t
is specified by the corporation, how
ever, that negotiations may be contin-
ued after March H.
The Fleet Corporation also stipuatcs
that the twcntythrec 535-foot and 5O2-
loot combination passenger and cargo
vessels now under construction will be
sold in fleets, in order that constant
service on selected routes may be pos
sible in compliance with the intent Of
the merchant marine act. 1t is the dc
sire OF the Shipping Board that twelve
OF these vessels be employed in the Pa
ci'ic trade, five in the London service
two on South American routes and four
on the Bremen schedule
Subsidy To Be Asked Next Week
The Administrations subsidy pro
gram will be laid before Congress late
next week in special message by
resident Harding, and the majority
leaders Of both houses will give the
proposal their hearty approval and sup
port, it was indicated to-day at the
White House.
The proposals now before the Prcsi-
dent for incorporation in his merchant
marine message have been made known
to the Administration leaders in the
Senate and House, who have indorsed
the plan as the hest means Of meeting
the problem of rehabiitating the Amer
lean merchant marine
The scheme, which is now being re-
duccd to the form of bill by Chair
man Laskcr and his advisers in the
Shipping Board. provides for both d.
rect and indirect relief to operators
of American tonnage. The direct aid
may aggregate s3.000,oOo year under
the plan which has been tentatively
agreed upon, while the indirect a;d ID
will include additional benefits calcu-
lated to enable the operator of Ameri
can tonnage to more nearly meet for
cign competition.
Included also in the indirect aids to
be given American shippers will prob
ably be additional cargocs of immj-
grants. While the House has before
it a resolution by Representative john
son, of Washington. to continue in cf-
feet the present immigration bill for
another year, beginning July next it
is the hope of the Shipping Board that
the bill will be amended so that at
least 30 per cent of all immigrants
from maritime countries be carried in
United States bottoms, and still
larger percentage from interior coun-
tries be required to book passage on
American vessels before their pass
ports will be approved by American
consular officers.