Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-12-25
CONGRESS MAY MAKE
AMERICAN OFFICIALS
Use SHIPS Of j. s.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Oeased Wire Service to The Journal.
(CnnvriCht 1922

gress may pass a law requiring all
American officials, diplomats, consuls
and agents to travel on American
ships hereafter.
This is the likely sequel to the
incident which has just aroused the
senate in connection with the dis.
coVery that the American Bar asso-
citation did not buy passage for its
members on an American ship, but
gave the business to a foreign steam
ship line.
Congress has no control, of course,
over private bodies like the Ameri-
can Bar association, but the hope
is that when the government COM
pels people on its own payroll to
travel on American ships the exam
pie may be borne in On other Ameri-
can citizens as patriotic duty.
The shipping board has again and
again been confronted abroad with
the humiliating argument of pros
'pective passengers that if American
officials do not consider their own
ships worth while patrOnizing why
should anyone else do SO. At pres
ent it would be a simple thing for
congress to attach a rider to all APP
preparation bills where travel is in
VOlVed requiring that passage al
ways be engaged on American ships
wherever American ships sail to the
destinations which the journey on
official business is to be made. There
could be a provisO, of course, that
in case of an emergency cabinet
officer shall have the right to make
exceptions to the rule for the benefit
of the personnel of his department.
This would take care of all cases
in which officials would be subjected
to delays if they waited for particu-
lar Sailings.
Would Reflect Benefit
The general effect, however. of
such a stipulation in appropriation
bills would be to make American Of
ficials patronize their own fleet and
the impression resulting therefrom
would be beneficial to the American
passenger business as a whole.
Again and again since the United
States shipping board has engaged
in the passenger business, prominent
Americans have taken passage on
f = ign ships even though American
els like the Leviathan or the
George Washington were leaving on
he same day. 1t is said that in many
cases the foreign lines have offered
to these prominent Americans spe-
cial inducements, not necessarily in
the matter of rate, but i. the choice
of accommodations Then when the
passenger lists are published these
companies have the benefit of the
prestige that accrues from such pat
ronage.
The American Bar association is
an important stipulation and it is
no small feather in the cap of the
foreign steamship line that can land
the business of transporting the bar
associations members. While 1t is
contended on the one hand that the
shipping board wasn't approached
in the matter of accommodations and
this is denied by the bar associations
representatives, the truth probably
lies in the question of what accom-
modations could be secured and what
inducements were offered.
The episode illustrates what the
government is up against in the
shipping business. Methods that are
natural in private business are not
always used by the government in
handling its. affairs. Already, for
instance, congress is bestirring itself
over the matter of salaries to be paid
to executives of the shipping board
yet in the case of private companies
they have no such restraint placed
upon them when they want to hire
men of brains and ingenuity and spe-
cial training.
Old Problem Up
It's the old story as between gov
eminent operation and private opera
ton. The inefficiencies of the for
mer are no longer denied, but since
the government doesn't want to sell
it's ships at reduced prices and stand
q heavy loss, the inevitable alterna-
tive is government operation for a
| few years at least.
For government operation at the
moment is in worse condition than
it has been since the war. The ship
ping board is at skies and sevens.
The chairman of the board who was
appointed during the recess of con-
| REGSS is DdNlIS uIlLICulNy SCINAliS5 lbs
nomination confirmed by the senate
chiefly because he wouldn't toady
! to congress and to some extent be-
cause he wouldn't give away the
American merchant fleet at bargain
prices to prospective buyers or make
leases advantageous to private con
Germs and disadvantageous to the
government President Coolidge has
let it be known to the newspapers
that he doesn't resent the action OF
the senate, but it isn't discreet for
him to appear resentful however
piqued he may really feel. The de-
feat of Mr.. Farley for confirmation
is the first blow at the prestige OF
the president in congress, and Mr.
| Coolidge has about decided that he
had better bow to the will of the
senators and appoint a new chair
man. All this means lost motion in
| the shipping board, more reorganiza-
ton and more delays in getting the
| government fleet on a competitive
basis with foreign steamship lines.
| At WY N"