New-York tribune., 1922-09-25
Marvin Charges
Foreign Buyers
Ban US. Vessels
Official of American Steam
ship Owners Association
Says Discrimination Was
Practiced Before the War
Affects % of Commerce
Alien Ships Gain Trade De-
spite Lower Rates on Lo-
cal Lines, 1t Is Declared

One OF the gravest handicaps to
American shipping is the fact that
many foreign purchasers, in placing
their orders, bar the use OF United
States vessels despite lower rates and
equal service, according 20 state
nent yesterday from Winthrop L..
Marvin. vice-president and general
manager of the American Steamship
Owners Association. He added that
this discrimination was continuation
of practices started long before tks
Jones merchant marine act of 1920 or
the ship subsidy bill were contem-
plated.
Mr.. Marvin said that while this pol
icy of European discrimination still
was effective, considerable progress had
been made in combating it. Gradually
more business was being gained for
domestic shipping through insistence
that American ships have the. right to
a proper share of the carrying trade
of the North Atlantic, he said.
Carrying Two-thirds
However, foreign ships, thanks
largely to this long-standing policy OF
discrimination, are still carrying two
thirds of the sea-borne trade of the
United States" Mr.. Marvin declared.
"a lumber exporter of the Southwest,
for example, when asked why none OF
his product was being shipped in
American vessels, replied that he was
compelled by external influences to
favor British companies in shipments
to the United Kingdom. Discrimina-
tion against American vessels has been
especially marked in the -four export
trade These instances have been re-
ported 60 Washington, but American
-four exporters are concertedly moving
to insist that foreign purchasers must
in fairness allow part of the product
OF American farms to be sent abroad
in American services.
"What makes this discrimination
against the American merchant flag all
the more vexatious and harmful TO
American producers as we'll as to the
ship owners and operators of this coun-
Try is that in some instances the for
eign ships insist on freight rates
higher than the standard rates charged
by American steamers. An American
shipping company of New York lately
offered tonnage TO the Continent for
grain at the standard figure, but found
that the Continental interests con-
JroillnR shipments uemanOeu tnaJ lne
grain be sent in European steamers at
an advance of cents hundred pounds
over the figure at which the American
ships were offering.
"U. S. Steamers Excluded"
"A Continental purchaser sending q
cable inquiry for grain stipulated that
American steamers were excluded
Against an American offer of IT cents
per 100 pounds on heavy grain to north
Europe the foreign purchasers in
sisted that the grain be sent on for
engn ship at 20 cents hundred.
"These experiences prove that it is
not only higher wages on shipboard
that hamper the development of the
American merchant marine. Many for
eign interests are distinctly hostile TO
the use Of American ships at any time.
And it is rather an ironical fact that
such interests as these are violently
protesting against national aid to
American ships provided in the pend
ing subsidy bill before Congress-