Evening star., 1923-01-16
SHIP SUBSIDY BILL
IN HOPELESS JAM
Plea of Southern Business
Men Believed to Be Main
Salvation.
LASKER TO QUIT JUNE |
Atlantic and Gulf Lines Discon-
tinued Because of Great
Losses.
LAsKER TO QUIT JUNE l
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

The ship subsidy bill has gotten
into such a jam in the Senate that
the entire American shipping business
is facing an uncertainty bordering
on chaos.
About the only hope for the
measure lies in the pleas of southern
business men who have been ad-
vised that virtually all the South At
lantic and Gulf lines established by
the United States Shipping Board
must be abandoned Immediately after
March 4 IL the ship subsidy isn't
passed. There is talk also OF the
Board: If this does not happen. the
PRESIDENT will find it necessary to
reOrgantze the board and fill several
vacancies.
Chairman A. D. Lasker has told his
associates on the board that he will
retire on June L. irrespective of
whether the bill passes or not. He
mas given two years of time to the
problem and is anxious to return TO
private business. Several other mem?
oers are ready to leave. but are hold
ing on In the hope that they may be
or some help in the transition period
between government operation and
the private control contemplated by
the ship subsidy act If the measure
1alls. of course, they will have no in
government operation merely means
an accumulation Of expense and in
evitable failure.
The President has told senator's that
II the ship subsidy bill fails he will
put squarely upon Congress the re-
sponsibility for shaping a shipping
policy and that Congress will have
10 keep on appropriating annually
many times the sum asked for sub
sidy or else sell the ships to foreign
buyers at remnant prices, as American
shipping men claim they cannot
operate under American laws withou.
a subsidy.
Southern Lines Losers.
The reason the south Atlantic and
Gulf lines are to be abandoned is that
they are losing heavily for the gov
ernment. These lines were established
in conformity with the act continuing
the present Shipping Board. That act
directed the board to set up certain
trade routes to benefit American ship
pers. The section most in need of
these lines was the south with its
heavy cotton shipments without
south would be compelled to ship to
northern ports and pay the high
freight rates.
Naturally those southern business
men who realize the damage that
will be done by the withdrawal of
cratic senator's from the south to
help. The democratic senator's, on
the other hand, say they feel COM
mitted. as a party policy. to oppose
ship subsidy. To this the business
men answer that the democrats
ought, therefore, no be in a position
of obstructing a vote on the bill, and
that they would not hold It against
their senator's if they voted against
the measure IL they felt it necessary
to do so, but to let the bill come to
vote anyhow.
Cannot Pass Next Congress.
The republican leaders in charge of
the bill insist that they have enough
votes to pass the measure If it can
only be brought to vote at this Ses-
sion, which expires automatically on
March 4. and they concede they can
not muster enough votes to get 1t
through the newly elected Congress-
March A. An extra session would
not be called merely to get action on
the ship subsidy bill, as there is no
hope that ii can be passed if it fails
between now and March e.
The Shipping Boards plan OF with
drawing southern trade routes is not
issued as a threat to southern sena-
tors, but the members of the board
feel that enough money already has
been spent on these lines and that
they would be derelict in their duty
il they did not shut Off the virtual sub
sidy, which has been granted ships
which have been running from these
southern ports.
Some of Ports Affected.
Some of the ports, which will be
affected by a change of policy are
Wilmington, N. c., Charleston, S. c.,
Savannah and Brunswick, Ga, Mobile,
New Orleans. Galveston and Jackson
Vile.
Republican leaders are frank
enough to say that filibuster
against the bill between now and
March 4 will succeed unless the DEM
ocrats completely change their tao
tics and desert the progressive bloc
and others who are keeping the ship
ping bill from being considered and
acted upon by the Senate.
Copyright, 1921