Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-02-16
SHIPPING BOARD THREATS
ARE PURELY PROPAGANDA.

SHIPPING BOARD THREATS
ARE PURELY PROPAGANDA.
limitations that the [. 5. Ship
ping Board intends TO abandon the
operation Of its lines to several i'm
por,art ports on the Atlantic and
the Gulf Of Mexico unless South
ern senators vote for the pass sc
OF President Harding's ship bonus
bll were made the sutjec- OF
csus.c rel ukes by Senator Fle.s h
en-. Democrat, Florida, in a speech
in the senate. The statement Of
the Shipping Boards alleged IN
tension to withdraw its vessels
from the Southern trade after
March I, next. and thereby hamp-
er shipments Of cotton were con
tanned IN an article sent broadcast
by a Washington correspondent
who serves many leading newspa.
pers.
After reading in the Congress
sional Record the correspondents
account Of the Shipping Boards
alleged designs, Senator Fletcher
said:
50 we have here the threat vir-
tually that the South Atlantic and
Gulf lines established by the Ship
ping Board must be abandoned
Immediately after March ) Il the
ship subsidy bill is not passed. It
seems to me not a very creditable
thing on the part Of the Shipping
Beard to take that position and
give out information to be spread
over the country and be publish
cd as it has been published along
the South Atlantic and Gulf coasts
a threat that if the senators from
those states do not vote for TIE
ship subsidy legislation, the ships
serving the ports Of the Gulf and
South Atlantic viii be withdrawn
from that service ateer March /"
Senator Fletcher then showed
that as the Shipping Boards YES
sells are carrying about 81 per cent
Of the tonnage leaving the South
Atlantic and Gulf po-rs, and hat
az this commerce is increasing,
there is 10 warrant To-. discontinue
ing the several lines mentioned.
The statement / ahaYe quoted is
simply intended to influence the
commercial bodies, boards of
trade, chambers Of commerce. and
merchants along the Atlantic and
Gulf coasts to bring pressure to
bear upon their senators to SUD-
port the ship subsidy bin, because
if they do not they are to under
stand the ships will be withdrawn
from those ports. Is it possible
that we have come to that pass
when threats of this kind must be
Iesorted 10 and when promises Of
OF immediate benefit are to be Of
fered in order to gain votes for
the ship subsidy biII7"
Such threats, Senator Fletcher
said, would not only not be effec-
tive but would be resented by the
individuals and interests to whom
they were addressed.
If the Shipping Board predicat-
ed its withdrawal of ships on the
ground Of heavy losses" as the
article he quoted alleged, Senator
tor Fletcher declared, there would
be an investigation Of its action.
I advise these gentlemen (of
the Shipping Board) if they pur-
sue the course as threatened in
this article they viii have to prove
the basis for that action. They
will have to furnish books and pa-
pers and documents and evidence
to the satisfaction of proper in
Vestigating committee that thew
are withdrawing these vessels in
the public interest and not as a
punishment to those communities
whose representatives here are op-
posed to ship subsidy bill"
Senator Fletcher described the
statements attributed to the Shin
ping Boards "as a species of pro.
paganda and the elimination of
efforts, by publicity and otherwise,
which the Shipping Board has been
putting forth for months in order
to gain support for the shin sub
sidy bill"