The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-11-14
LASKER INFLUENCE STILL
RULES SHIPPING BOARD

finally chose Lasker, the Chicago ad- !
vertising agent and member-at-large !
Of the American Jewish Committee. !
inexperienced in even the rudiments ,
OF ship operation or anything remote !
ly resembling it, Lasker had not been !
in office a month before he was
heralding to the world that "the ship
ping board is a colossal wreck, a
mighty sick organization with a fleet
of mighty sick ships"
Truth About the Wooden. Fleet
Picturing the whole situation as
chaos in the last degree, Mr.. Lasker
saw to it that no opportunity should
be lost to impress Upon the people
what a terrible condition their ship
ping board and their war-born merch-
ant fleet were in-what a tremendous
job it would be to cure the situa-
tion-and what a remarkable achieve
ment it would be when he had accom-
plished it.
This, OF course, was astounding from
a man of Mr.. Lasker's temperament
hes so modest, usually!
Was there a motive behind his
studied abuse of the former shipping
board, something more than merely
the Lasker love of bombast? By and
by we shall see.
Within a month after assuming Of
flee Mr.. Lasker felt able to declare,
"The accounts of the shipping board
and the Emergency Fleet Corporation
have been so badly kept that I am
drawing a red line between July 1,
when | took office, and all previous
transactions, for there is nothing re-
motely resembling an accurate figure
in the accounts as they have been
kept"
And Mr.. Lasker Immediately made
a contract with the firm of Lybrand,
Ross & Montgomery-of which more
Will be said later-to change the
whole system of accounting-which
was done. Lasker then began to dis
charge those who had knowledge of
the boards past actions. And after
- a months experience in a business to
which he was a total stranger, this
n advertising agent from Chicago be-
gan to tell congress and the country
~ : that "they must have confidence in
10 me and leave it in my hands" without
;s being told anything of the methods,
"A the expenditures, the plans for the
future. And, when compelled to meet
sIsM suopsLIdoIdds usqM sse15uoo
n asked for, Mr.. Lasker proved himself
: the artful dodger supreme.
=; The method by which a group of
Jews took possession of the Merch-
J: ant Marine, what was done in the
sale of the wooden ship fleet, how
shipyards and valuable lands wert
sold for a song, and hundreds of mil
ny lions of dollars worth of supplies
sold for from seven to nine per cen
III of their cost with a loss of hundred
Ihu of millions which could have bee
YES avoided, and how $500, 900 900 wort,
Use eff negotiable securities were dispose
eis of and the disposition aQd receipt
Of never accounted to congress or to tn
the controller general to this day despit
the insistent and repeated demands
re- congress through individual member
40 for some information-this is I'll
lrs. startling chapter which the advent
TO Mr.. Lasker opened.
ers, In the gigantic task which faced u
the to save our allies from being swel
do clean of shipping, we frantically bui
on, ships, among them a fleet of woodt
OF boats at a cost of $300,O0O,OO0, son
1ubt 300 ships of which remained when NJ
nth Lasker took office.
who Under the Jones Merchant Mari
Act of 1920, the purpose of which W
'rea, to dispose of the surplus ships, t
Sest, shipping board was instructed "
1blic sell, as soon as practicable, consiste
with good business methods and t
objects and purposes to be attain
the by this act, at private competitive s:
office after appraisement and due advertiI
e, in ment," all these vessels. Further pl
city vision was made that "Such sale sh
s to be made at such prices and On ST
the terms and conditions as the board m
and prescribe, but the completion of
'ecial payment of the purchase price and
v re- terest shall not be deferred more I'll
f the fifteen Years after the making Of
hown contract of sale. The board shall t,
into consideration the prevailing
e no nestle and foreign market price,
can available supply of, and the dem,
Toner for vessels, existing freight rates
.actly prospects Of their maintenance,
reeks cost of constructing vessels of sim
fuo tvpes under prevailing conditions.