Evening star., 1924-05-14
DENIES ASSISTANCE
IN STEAMSHIP SALE
Secretary Hughes Says Interest in
Matter Ended When He En-.
tered Cabinet.
CORRESPONDENCE IS READ
Representative Davis Also Gives
Records in Case.


be absolutely false" the statement
that he had anything to do with the
sale of the steamship Martha Wash
ington" to it's former owners by the
Shipping Board.
In formal statement prompted by
the reading of correspondence before
the House shipping board investigat-
ing committee, in which Secretary
Hughes was said to have appeared
for the former owners before becom-
ing Secretary of State, Mr.. Hughes
declared he had had nothing to do
with the subject since he entered the
cabinet
Representative Davis, Democrat, of
tennessee, yesterday read the CORE
spondence as we'll as records of hear
ings by the House merchant marine
committee to show that Mr.. Hughes
IN December, 1920. three months bcs
fore he became Secretary of State
was active as counsel for q Trieste
corporation, to have title of the ship
seized from Austria during the war
transferred back to that company
he also produced resolution of the
shipping Board two years later under
which the ship was sold for sec, 900 to
the corporation after the board had
been advised by the State Depart
ment that the Trieste company was
then ltalian-owned, through anneXa-
ton or Trieste.
Correspondence Read.
Correspondence read by Mr.. Davis
included that between William Phil
Fps, under secretary of state; A. A.
Adee, as second assistant secretary,
and Chairman Lasker of the Shipping
Board. 1t involved the forwarding
o a n fnt tirrNG 49,
Italian ambassador and other inter-
ested persons. as well as information
as to the national status of the COM
pany claiming the ship.
The statement that l had anything
70 do with the sale of the Martha
Washington" said Secretary Hughes
in his statement today, "is absolutely
false. | have had nothing to do with
this matter since l became Secretary
of State.
and before 1 had any idea of be-
coming Secretary of State, was con-
suited by the attorneys of the Italians
who claimed the vessel. I believed
their claim was Just one and took
the matter up. While the vessel had
oeen seized by this government be-
cause she flew the Austrian flag, she
belonged to Trieste and to a corpora =
tion organized and controlled by
Italians. When Trieste went to Italy
Inc CoTpoTdllOn was recognized by
Italy as an Italian corporation and
the Italians sought the return of the
vessel.
Connection Ended.
The question was whether the gov
ernment should oonfiscate a vessel
which really belonged to it's asso-
ciates in the war. My connection
with the matter completely ended be-
fore became Secre tary OF State.
When, a long time afterward, l
learned that the Shipping Board had
brought questions relating to the ves-
Sci before the Department of State, 1
declin ed, because of my previous con-
nection as above stated. to have any
thing to do with it. The matter was
handled exclusively under the direc-
ton of Mr.. Phillips, the undersecretary
of state, on the advice of the solicit
tors office, without any reference to
me-.
Il did not discuss the questions in
volved with any one in the depart
ment, and gave no instructions or
suggestions directly or indirectly as
TO what should be done. 1 did not
even know what had been done about
it until short time ago when one
of the newspaper correspondents
mentioned it"