New-York tribune., 1922-06-26
Board Shipping
On IntercOastal
Run Protested
Association of Steamship
Owners Informs Lasker
No Justification Exists
for L. s. Competition
Private Lines Adequate
Withdrawal of Allocaied
Vessels Immediately Is
Urged i'm Communication


A vigorous formal protcs; against the
continuance in intercoastal service Of
Shipping Board vessels has been filed
With Chairman Lasker by the Amer
iesn steamship Owners' Association,
according 70 Winthrop l. Marvin, vice.
pI4sident Of that organization.
oWe would like 20 invite your atten.
ton % one important trade where il is
our earnest conviction that govern
msnt competition through allocated
tonnage could advantageously and al
once be withdrawn" says the letter
sent by the owners to Mr. Lasker. I've
refer % the intcrcoGstal traffic via
TIE Panama Canal between Atlantic
and Pacific ports Of the United states
his is American commerce, entirely
free from foreign competition. The
carving Of this commerce is reserved
10. :he American flag, and the large
Slips that perform this service form
particularly valuable element in the
American merchant marine and. naval
reserve"
Private Tonnage Heavy
Inward Of 100000 tons deadweight
Of American steamers, Of private own.
crShip in half a dozen separate and
competing companies, arc engaged IN
tais intercoastal traffic az the present
time. the protest declares. These
ships are operating on fixed Schedules,
u Is said, and they are capable OF car
al Of
present traffic moving westward and
eastward. as is evidenced by the fact
that they frequently sail only partly
lsated. American companies engaged
.n this intcrcoa6tal trade moreover
ase among the strongest and most pro-
grcssive factors IN the merchant ma
rine: they have been steadily acquir-
inc new tonnage. and they are IN
position 20 meet with ease any incroas-
ing volume of traffic.
considering the exceptionally high
development Of this branch Of the sea
carrying trade Of the United states,
there can be no Justification FOR the
maintenance Of government owned and
aiiocatcd tonnage In this service con
tinuos the associations letter We
therefore ask that the Shipping Board
steamers now being employed IN this
service ho Immediately withdrawn and
Transferred elsewhere, where their
competition viii not fall entirely upon
American ship owners
The association then points out 20
Mr. Laskor that he has placed himself
On record as being heartily IN accord
With the national policy Of retiring the
government from the shipping business
- soon as possible. and adds that IN
the intcrcoastal traffic is a field where
he application Of this policy can well
begin
Service Held Adequate
f"Thcre is adequate and more than
adequate existing service in American
ships where only American ships can
operate. Private companies owning
these ships are thoroughly established
i1-thc trade. They have strong organ
iztiions and excellent terminal facili-
ties. They provide "a service that IS as
regular and frequent as the trade can
l possibly demand. and which u.s. In fact,
] in excess Of actual requirements
II is the expectation Of the country,
declare the ship owners that the en-
crces Of the Shipping Board be de-
traffic. which is and has been sufi-
ciently cared for, bat 90 the overseas
trcdc with other countries. where
American ships are so deficient in num-
bers that they arc conveying only about
one third BOO value Of the imports and
exports 81 the United States. as con
trasted with The 100 per cent Ameri-
can tonnage ~ our coastUise commerce.
"Govcrnmcnf-0wncd steamers under
ALLEGATION boo the intcrcoastal trade are
q typc that car readily be trans
fefred 90 any overseas route where for
c.Fn shipping .s stll dominant" il is
added, "and thereby can be enabled 20
di,riace foreign ships instead Of di-
vcrtinC part Of the legitimate bust
ness Of private American ship owners
'"Wc make this recommendation "a
yoa IN tho confident belief that il is in
full accord with your own interDrcta-
tiop Of What our national policy should
be- the association states In corclu.
sion. "and that il will receive the ap.
proval Of yourself and your col.
leagues