New-York tribune., 1922-03-01
Shipping Board Chairman
Says Nation Must Have
Constructive System 10
End Government Losses
UphoIds Immigrant Plan
Indirect Aids WIZ Give
Better Help Than Pay
ments Direct, He Asserts

Expressed yesterday by A D. Laskcr,
chairman Of the Shipping Board Nr.
Las@er was at the Offices Of the board,
% Broadway. after conferences with P.
A. S. Franklin, president Of the Inter
national Mercantile Marine COMPANY.
on details Of the release of the option
on the LcYiathan. ard With Herbert
Fleishhackcr. the San Francisco bank
CT with reg ri TO the proposed $50,
100000 steamship company on the Pa
cifc
~ haven't the slightest idea that
Congress viii oppose this bill" said
Mr. Lasker "The whole Republican
membership Of the House and Senate
committees concerned with shipping
vent over the plan and sen. word to
the President that they were unani-
mously in favor Of the principle
Doubts United Bloc Opposition
The chairman added vnat no cor
certed opposition from the agricultur-
al bloc vas expected He pointed out
that Senator McNary, ~ho nominated
Senator Capper Is chairman Of the
bloc, was q supporter Of the shipping
bill, and that Senator Jones, Of Wash-
lngron, chairman Of the Senate Com
mlttee on Commerce. would support the
measure, though he IS a member Of the
bloc.
Every important Industry IN the
country is protected except shipping"
Mr. Lasker continued. We wouldn't
be consistent if we denied the shiDs
protection. Those who refuse 10 vote
for this bill must have some definite
plan to propose in its place. The coun-
try Will not stand for sinking the ships
and 1t cannot stand the losses from
government operation"
Mr.. Lasker was asked how long the
Shipping Board would require 10 hqui-
date its business If the subsidy meas
ure was enacted. He replied that con
siderable progress probably would be
made in year, and that if the ship
could be sold the board would with
draw from operation within two to
two and & half years.
Stresses Indirect Aids
The chairman expressed the beliet
that tho Indirect aids contained in TIE
Administration bill would go q long
way toward establishing American ship
ping without direct payments. He men
toned the provision that at least 30
Der cent of the immigrants should he
required to travel on vessels under the
United States flag, and said that If this
had been made effective years ago this
country would have had as many fast
passenger lines at the Quthraa 81 ..- ..--
war as Great Britain, instead Of fifteen
against $50 for the British.
INN igration has been a great aid
to the North Atlantic passenger liners"
said Mr.. Lasker. up to 1915 all Of
the foreign companies allotted the I'M
migrant trade on strict statistical
basis, and none OF it was given to
United States ships. We only propose
to do TO them what they did to us.
We can have neither an assured
peace nor an assured prosperity with
out merchant ships. The United States,
now that it is a creditor nation, lacks
vital organ when it lacks q merchant
marine"
Unanimously Endorsed
The bin introduced in Congress yes.
terday had the unanimous approval OF
the commissioners, four Republicans
and three Democrats, Mr.. Lasker de-
clared This incorporates the sUg-
gestion of President Harding. and VIII
form the basis of hearings before the
Senate Committee on Commerce and the
House Merchant Marine Committee.
Mr.. Lasker was asked if any other
ex- German ships would be recondi-
toned for operation with the Levia-
than. He replied that the board had TO
intention of rehtting any more, and
that these would be offered for
sale in their present condition. The
Leviathan, ne added. either would be
sold by the time she was repaired III
1923 or would be operated by the
United States Lines. The liner would
not be allocated to any other company
for service, he said.
Asked if the United States Lines
was q paying enterprise, the chairman
said it was if the receipts and expen-
ditures were balanced but not when
Judged as mmercial business. with
charges for interest, issuance and de-
preciation
Advertising Successful
MIR. Lasker remarked that the result
of the advertising campaign for the
United States Lines had been so sue
cessful that the board was now con-
sdering cutting the expenditure in
half. He said that from present pros
poets the accommodations Of the COM
pany for the entire summer apparently
were OVerSOld. rms Did not mean that
the company would have large profits.
he said, declaring that the cost Of
operation under the United States Aag
was SO much greater than under for
eign flags that it could not show 8
profit at current rates even when run
ming full.
Mr. Lasker described as Chunk dis
tributed by foreign lines the state
ment that American travellers did not
prefer American ships. All of the re-
turns from the advertising campaign
of the board. he said, show that Amer
leans greatly prefer to go on ships
under their own flags when the serv-
ices are equal.
The conference with Mr.. Franklin,
Mr.. Lasker said, were concerned only
with details of the release of the
Leviathan, upon which the Interna-
tional Mercantile Marine Company
he an option for operation when she
was reconditioned. The meeting with
Mr.. Fleishhacker was for q discuss ion
of some details with regard to the
proposed company on the Pacific.
Assures Coast Pool
III the Presidents plan goes through
in substance" Mr.. Lasker said. 1--WE
are certain that the $4,000, 900 COM
pany on the Pacific Coast will be
formed and will buy a number of our
fast passenger ships, provided some
one else doesn't offer a higher price.
For the same reason we will have no
difficulty in finding buyers for the
n ms NOW oooroyoJ hv {co IfpifeS