Evening star., 1923-07-13
AMERICANS BEARD
BRITISH SHIP LIONS
Promise Strong, Fair Com
petition at Luncheon on
Leviathan.
BY the Associa ted Press.

BY the Associated Press.
SOUTHAMPTON, July 12-Officials
or the United States Shipping Board
bearded the lions of the British ship
ping world in the spacious dining
room of the Leviathan at a luncheon
today by telling them what is to be
expected in the way Of competition
from the American merchant marine.
But 1t was a friendly boarding. The
occasion was luncheon party for 500
shipping men. diplomats and others.
1t was as far removed as could pos
stbly be from the controversy which
has been featuring Anglo-American
shipping relations recently.
Praises U. S. Efforts,
Indeed, the mayor of Southampton
went SO far as to invite the United
states to build two or three more
ships like the giant Leviathan, with
the provision that they send them to
his home port, which he promised
would be enlarged to accommodate
them.
1t was a dry luncheon and the day
was very hot. Even the special trains
upon which the guests Travelled from
London to Southampton were dry so
Tar as the American hosts were con-
cerned, although unlimited supplies of
travellers. On the Leviathan MANY of
the British guests sampled prohibit
ton beer-and said one sample was
sufficient.
Frank Competition.
w. F. Gibbs, the American naval ar
chitect, who supervised the recondi-
tioning of the Leviathan, summed up
the American shipping policy as a
frank, free open competition in which
the United States did not wish 70
sweep anybody else off the sea, but
neither would 1t be swept off. He as
sured mis- hearers that Americans
would play cricket" on the ocean.
Sir Ernest Glover, president of the
British chamber of shipping, compli-
mented the American officials on the
appearance of the big vessel and their
manner of handling 1t here. Viscount
Pirrie. one of the most noted ship
ping experts of the world, inspected
the Leviathan thoroughly this morn
ing and then said his task of recon-
ditfoning the old German Imperator
1f1to the Berengaria, was but child's
play compared to the task of the
americans in rebuilding the Levia-
than.
One Possible Desertfon.
The question of deserters from Brit
tsh merchant ships being among the
crew of the Leviathan, which gene
rated some heat, has almost fiZZled
out. Two Of three men upon whom
Summonses were served denied in mag
1strate's court this morning that they
We're the men wanted. This left one
possible case of deSertion instead of
hundreds as the English newspapers
had predicted
The lone case is that of F. C. Barnes,
q steward who left a Cunard liner in
Eew York to join the American crew.
Two months ago Barnes took out his
first American citizenship papers and
planned to live permanently in the
United States. He told the Associated
Press correspondent that he quit the
British ship solely to get better job
that he might be able to bring his
wife to the United States and provide
her with some of the good things of
life, which he was unable to do while
she lived in London and he worked on
British transatlantic liner.
Barnes said he was a kitchen clerk
on the Berengaria and that while en-
ployed by the Cunard Line he saw
many cases corresponding to his own,
but the steamship officials never took
any action about them.