Evening star., 1925-01-04
Administration Measure De.
signed to End Shipping
Board Control of Craft.
STATES DETERMINATION
TO KEEP FLAG ON SEAS
Proposed Legislation Expressing
Policy of President Ready
for Presentation.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

Recommendations OF President Cool
idge that the operation of the Gov
ernment-owned merchant feet shall
be transferred absolutely to the
Emergency Fleet Corporation is EN-
bodied in bill which will be intro
duced In the Senate tomorrow by
Senator Wesley l. Jones Of Washing
ton, chairman of the Senate COM
mittee.
sIn the House the same bill will be
introduced by Representative Lehl-
bach of New Jersey, member or the
House committee on merchant marine
ard fisheries and of the special House
committee which is investigating the
Shipping Board and the merchant
marine problem generally.
VIII Continue Operation.
Included in the Jones bill are a
number of recommendations of the
Shipping Board, contained in the
boards last annual report. Most I'M
portant is an Affirmative declaration
that the Government of the United
States intends to maintain an Amer
lean merchant marine. While 1t Is
hoped that the merchant vessels op-
Grating in the overseas trade may
eventually come into private owner
ship and operation. the new bill
states unequivocally that the Govern :
ment will continue to operate a mer-
chant marine until this hope Is real
lied If 1t Is not realized. then the
Government will continue the opera
tion of merchant feet.
Text OF Measure.
AF
bill:
1T is hereby declared to be the in
tention of the Government OF the
United States to establish and main
tain such shipping routes and provide
such merchant feet as may be neces-
sary to promote the foreign trade of
the United States and to make avail
able adequate merchant shipping for
national defense, and that such
routes and merchant feet will be
provided and maintained by the Cow
ernment until the same is taken over
to be maintained by private enter
prise"
In the opinion OF Senator Jones no
affirmation OF the determination to
keep the American flag on the seven
seas can be made too strong. The
declaration that the American mer-
chant marine is here to stay and to
develop further is calculated to give
confidence to American. and other
shippers who desire to use Amer
lean vessels, but fear that the serv-
ices may be discontinued. 1t is cal
culated also to give confidence to
operating forces OF the American
ships Too long has there been the
fear that the merchant marine might
be abandoned. And this fear has had
a tendency to retard the growth OF
the business done by the fleet.
To add to the idea OF permanence
of the American merchant marine,
the bill provides that hereafter the
Emergency Fleet Corporation shall
he known as the United States Fleet
Corporation" removing the adverse
psychological effect of the word
emergency" in this connection.
stock Goes to President.
Carrying out the intention to
separate the operation, and in fact.
the fleet itself from the control OF
the Shipping Board, the stock of the
Emergency Fleet Corporation now
held by the United States Shipping
Board Is to be transferred under the
terms Of the bill to the President Of
the United States, who shall vote
these shares OF stock on behalf OF the
United States.
All vessels, equipment and supplies
and other property. except docks,
piers, warehouses and other terminal
facilities, now under the control OF
the board, are to be transferred to
and placed under the control of the
Fleet Corporation.
The Fleet Corporation is to have
all power and authority-now vested
in the Shipping Board-for the GUS
tody, maintenance, repair, employ
ment, insurance and disposal of the
vessels and other property.
The bill cuts off absolutely all pow
ers Of operation of the fleet now
IGnn tinlred ON Pare & Column q d