Evening star., 1923-06-11
LASKER ASKS NEW
u. S. SHIP CONTROL
Urges Creation of Eighteen
Subsidiary Lines Under
Parent Body.

Continuation of direct government
operation over the federal merchant
marine, but carried out in different
method. that of the formation of
from Twelve to eighteen subsidiary
ship corporations each to control one
of the consolidated routes and all
having the fleet corporation as a
parent body, controlling the general
policies, was recommended yesterday
by Albert ID, Lasker to President
Harding in his letter of formal
resignation as chairman of the United
states Shipping Board. The infor-
NAL resignation was rendered several
months ago and Edward +. Farley
or Chicago will be his successor.
Complete control must be assumed
by the government, Mr. Laskcr de-
clareu. the experiment of operation
agents having proved VICIOUS sys-
semr resulting in placing terminal
.acliltles and the good will Of it's
Iinea In outside hands, and the at
Tempt to sell the Shipping Board
neet to private interests having
'ai4eu Government operations. how
ever the letter continued. should
always be with a view to ultimate
sale to private owners"
VIII Have Parent BODY,
In the event of the adoption of this
Plan. Mr.. Lasker said. these cor
porations will have the fleet cor
poration as the parent body, the re-
sponsihillty for their operation rest
ing in the separate entities. The
subsidiary corporations will control
the good will and terminal facilities
or their respective routes. and will
thus possess assets of steadily in
creasing value, the property of the
government
:, The twelve to eighteen routes in
dicated will require. to begin with
about $50 ships. replacing almost 400
hnlps now in these services. and these
Ioo SHIPS viii represent approximate
Iy 100000 deadweight tons.
Survey Completed.
After allotting these $50 bottoms,
hand little more than 120O surplus
steel ships. The first comprehensive
survey to be made of the fleet is now
practically completed. and it will un-
doubtedly prove that several hundred
of these vessels. built for war pur-
poses are inoperablc under peace
. conditions.
Until the disposal of this tonnoge
is settled, the worlds shipping in
dustry will be disturbed, and the
worst effects Of this disturbance will
be felt by our own marine interests
We should therefore. at once accept
the inevitable and break up these un-
fits, of of the 600 to 1000 remaining,
recommend that approximately 200
. representing approximately 1.750,000
deadWeight tons, be selected as a re-
serve to be employed in highly COM
petitive routes if, and when. foreign
owners actively oppose the expansion
of our marine activities The ships
required for the operation of the
twelve to eighteen corporations men
toned, together with the reserve !
hnH Il.
mented by our coaStwise carrying
capacity of 100000 deadweight tons
already in existence, would provide
TINS country with an aggregate mer-
chant marine of approximately 1900
deadWeight tons, a nucleus for A bal
anced merchant marine, for service
in peace and war, and would place it
IN the second position among the
maritime powers"
The report recomme nded that Diesel
engines be installed in a number of
the ships held in reserve, asserting
that these machines had been proved
by exhaustive tests to be % per cent
more economical than other forms of
equipped they would be distributed
among the eighteen operating COM
panieS with A view to further devel
opment along this line,
Asks Loan Fund Use.
NO further appropriation Will be
necessary if Congress will permit
the use for this purpose of the board S
construction loan fund. the effect of
which will be such economies in oper-
alton as to permit of the restoration
of the capital within a relatively
brief period.
There remains to be dealt with 900
to 1000 ships for which we have no
present employment, and the exist
ence of which acts as a depressant
upon the merchant marine of the
world. and most of all upon our own.