Evening star., 1923-02-26
PLAN TOL|QU|DATE
SHIPS IS DISCUSSED
President and LaSker Confer,
But Withhold Details
of Proposal.
MAY SELL ALL VESSELS
Contracts of Sale Will Require
Present Routes Be Main.
tained Some Years.

Chairman Lasker Of the Shipping
Harding the liquidation policy which
the administration has determined to
adopt under the merchant marine law
as an incident to the failure Of the
shipping bill.
A definite plan, Mr.. Lasker said.
probably would be passed upon by
the full board this week and given
approval by the President. He de-
clined to divulge details, but empha-
sized the necessity for speedy adopt
ion Of a comprehensive policy, now
that it is known that the shipping
bill is not to go through.
Plan Presumably "RadicaI..
Presumably the plan under consid-
GRAFTON and described by Chairman
Lasker as a radical" departure from
the present policy of the board, will
embrace the effort of the administra-
ton Ito end the losses in liquidation
and humiliation" forecast by Presi-
dent Harding in a recent message to
Congress as the alternative to failure
of the government aid bill. This ef-
fort. Mr.. Harding promised, would be
carried out by the government "as
Eest 1t can" under the circumstances.
In an earlier message at the OPEN
ing of the special session last Novem-
Der the President declared that the
only three possible courses open were
passage of the bill extending aid,
continuance of present losses, or,
finally, a Sacrifice of our ships
home, the surrender Of our aspira-
tfons and the confession Of our i'm
potence to the world in general, and
our humiliation before the competing
world in particular"
The statement made by Chairma an
LaSker was interpreted in some quar-
ters as meaning that the-administra-
tion had decided to liquidate as soon
as possible the governments venture
in the merchant marine. and in doing
SO to take full advantage Of the mer-
chant marine act Of 1920.
VIII Sell Vessels.
This act would permit the board to
sell at a. merely nominal price ships
now being operated on established
routes. The sale would be under an
agreement to maintain the route for
a term Of years. Such action, 1t was
said, would get the government out
of the shipping business and at tho
same time tend to build up private
ly-owned merchant marine.
The section of the act Of 1920 which
it is generally considered would be
most helpful in building up a mer-
chant marine is that directing abro-
cation of commercial treaties which
prevent the United States from
placing discriminatory duties on
goods carried in foreign ships.
Presidents Wilson and Harding both
refused to carry out that section, but
Chairman Lasker has persistently
favored it.
Bury Bill To-day.
The administration shipping bill will
be finally laid aside in the Senate this
afternoon for the present session, 1t
was expected when the Senate met
today.
The first motion voted upon will be
to recommit. This motion, offered by
Senator Robinson from Arkansas.
probably will be defeated. Senator
Ladd of North Dakota will then move
to take up the bill to prohibit filled
milk in interstate commerce. and it is
expected that his motion will prevail.
This will displace the shipping bill as
the unfinished business of the Senate.
1t is not expected that the ship bill
will come up again before adjourn
ment. The Senate spent the first four
hours of it's session today considering
bills on its calendar.