Evening star., 1923-06-18
PRESIDENT BACKS
LEV|ATHAN CRUISE
Trial Voyage With Invited
Guests Private Lines
Medium of Advertising.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

The trial trip of the Leviathan,
which begins tomorrow, is political
as well as d nautical event
The row between the democratic
national committee and the United
States Shipping Board over what has
been termed "a million dollar joy
ride" is the first controversy under
government operation of ships which
has developed a political quarrel. and
IL it results In q congressional in
Nestigation or is made the subject of
continued political discussion. the
chances are that the whole course of
the American merchant marine in
the future will be vitally affected.
Follows Private Precedent.
The big point in the controversy is
whether the Shipping Board is to be
permitted to do things with govern
ment money as private lines do with
their own funds. Trial trips are taken
'hy all big liners Guests are invited
and ride free. It's a part of the good
will and advertising campaigns of
all shipping companies. But it isn't
usual for the government TO give
away anything free except seeds. so
ciSm about the "junket.' and even
though the Shipping Board insists
the total cost of the guests Will be
only $4,000. instead Of Sl,O0o.ooo,
still the fact that an" one gets some
thing gratis is brought into question.
What some of the Shipping Board
people now are beginning to fear Is
that Il sentiment may be built up
which will influence Congress in its
appropriations for the Shipping Board
for the future. If objection is made
10 the expenditure of $4,000 for in
vited guests as an indirect advertis-
iu&-etunt objection might be made
r. TO the million dollars spent annually
by the United States Shipping Board
in paid advertising in newspapers and
magazines. All the shipping lines
owned by private concerns spend, 1t is
estimated. about three or four mil
lion dollars a year in advertising, and
, the shipping Board here feels it must
advertise If it wishes to compete for
passenger travel.
Merits Are Overlooked.
The merits of the controversy over
the trial trip have very little to do
prejudice against operating the
United States Shipping Board as a
private concern would operate a fleet
Of passenger and freight vessels.
Briefly. the arguments for and
against the trial trip of the Leviathan
are these:
First, it is unnecessary because
trip has been taken from Newport
News to Boston. The answer of the
Shipping Board 70 this is that the
power until after she had had GER
tain repairs made in drydock and
that the experts from the start
nearly two years ago-have planned
a trial trip.
Seek to Train Crew.
Second, that if guests had to be
taken. the Shipping Board might have
taken some of the wounded soldiers
To. this the board makes answer that
it is not preparing the Leviathan for
hospital serVice and does not feel II
should undertake the care and re-
sponsibility of the sick men, when
the trial trip itself will be series
of fire drills, lifeboat drills and me-
rhanfcal speed tests. The object of
the trip is to break in the crew and
stewards for service on a regular
north Atlantic voyage, and that
training would not be secured in at
tending convalescent soldiers.
Third, the months of May and June
have been lost by delays when money
might have been made for the gov
ernment in the tourist trade. The
answer made by the Shipping Board
is that the contractors who recondi-
toned the vessel couldn't get it fin
ished before June 19 and that the
berth for the Leviathan in South
ampton earlier than July IL, SO that
the first sailing date from America
was July 4.
Viewed rs Joy Ride.
But the arguments between the po-
litical committee and the Shipping
Board involve technical facts and
even If the Shipping Board We're
proved right in it's contention, this
would not erase the impression that
a joy ride is being undertaken. The
trouble is the government hasn't
done this sort of thing. even though
private concerns have always done 1t.
The Leviathan itself when 1t was
known a the Vaterland. arrived from
Germany on her first trial trip with
hundreds of newspaper men and buSi
ness men riding free.
AS for the partisan feeling in the
matter, the democratic national COM
mittee hasn't forgotten the way the
republicans behaved when President
lion dollars in expenses for the Ameri-
IAN peace mission. The late Senator
penrose had lot of fun with the cpl
Sode in the Senate. and many news
papers cast knowing looks about the
free meals and entertainment given in
Paris and an audit was demanded by
a Senate resolution of the presidential
junket to Paris"
So the facts have little to do with
the case. and political committees
would go out of business il they didn't
have something to criticize, especially
in midsummer days, when campaign
ammunition is Scant.
Copyright 1921