Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-06-19
.L|..E:V|ATHAN' TRIAL
VOYAGE: MAY BRING
PROBE IN CONGRESS
Liner to Sail Tuesday, Des-
pite Democratic Protest of
"MiIIion = DoIIor Joy Ride"
at Public Expense
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
(Leased Wire Service TO The journal
Copyright 1921

Copyright, 1921
WASHINGTON, June 1S.-The
trial trip of the Leviathan, which
begins tomorrow, is political as
we'll as a nautical event.
The row between the Democratic
national committee and the United
States Shipping board over the .voy-
age, which has been termed "a mil
lion dollar joy ride is the first con-
troversy under government opera.
ton of ships which has developed a
political quarrel, and if it results in
g. congressional investigation Or is
made the subject of continued poIit-
lcal discussion, the chances are that
the whole course of the American
merchant marine in the futrue will
be vitality affected.
The big point in the controversy
is whether the shipping board is to
be permitted to do things with gov
eminent money, such as private
lines do with their own funds. Trial
trips are taken by all big liners
Guests are invited and ride free
It's a part of the good will and ad-
vertising campaigns of all shipping
companies. But it isn't usual cor
the government to give away arv
thing free except seeds, so there has
been a great deal of criticism about
tina "junket" and even though the
shipping board insists the total cost
Of the guests will be only thirteen
thousand dollars instead of a mil
lion dollars, still the fact that any
one gets something traits is brouylt
into question.
May Affect Appropriations
What some of the shipping board
people are now beginning to fear
is that a sentiment may be built I'D
which will influence congress in it's
appropriations for the shipping
board in the future. If objection is
made to the expenditure of $4,000
for invited guests as an indirect adj.
vertislng stunt, objection might be
made to the million dollars spent
annually by the United States ship.
ping board in paid advertising in
newspapers and magazines. All the
shipping lines owned by private con-
Germs spend, it is estimated, about
three or. four million dollars a year
N advertising and the shipping
board here feels it must advertise if
it wishes to compete for passenger
travel.
The merits Of the controversy over
the trial trip have very little to do
with what may become a political
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 Lee
viathan are these:
First, it is unnecessary because
trip has been taken from Newport
News to Boston. The answer of the
shipping board to this is that the
ship could not be operated at full
power until after she had had GER
tain repairs made in dry dock and
that the experts from the start
nearly two yeras ago-have planned
trial trip.
Guest List Is Defended
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 it should undertake the
care and responsibility of the sick
men when the trial trip itself will
be series of fire drills. lifeboat
drills, and mechanical speed tests.
The object of the trip is to break
in the crew and stewards for service
on regular North Atlantic voyage
and that training would not be Sc
cured in attending convalescent sol
diers.
Third, the month of May and
June have been lost by delays when
morey might have been made for the
government III the tourist rrauc nhe
answer made by the shipping board
is that the contractors who recon
ditioned the vessel couldn't get it
finished before June ~ and that the
shipping board was unable TO set a
berth for the Leviathan in South
alnpton earlier than July II so that
tie first sailing date FROM America
was July i.
Eut the arguments between the
political committee and the shipping
board involve technical facts and
even if the shipping board were
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
dore this sort of thing even though
private concerns have always done
it. The Leviathan itself, when it was
known as the Vaterland, arrived
from Germany on her first trial trip
with hundreds Of newspapermen and
business men riding free.