Evening star., 1925-10-04
Must Be Free From Charge
of Self.IntereSt in Stand,
He Says.
PRESIDENT ACCEPTS
RESIGNATION AT ONCE
Publisher. Five Years on Body.
Sees Danger in Policy.
Fought Palmer.
By the Associated Press,

By the Associ ated Press.
In protest against proposals to abol-
ish the Shipping Board. which he
feels would destroy regional repre-
sentation in the operation of the Gov
ernments merchant marine, Frederick
l. Thompson of Mobile, Ala, the
commissioner representing the Gulf
States, has rendered his resiCna ton to
President Coolidge to become effective
November l and it has been accepted.
He has been one of the opponents
of President Palmer of the Fleet Cor
poration and was one of the four com
missioners who voted Thursday 10
strip Mr.. Palmer of much of his
powers.
Mr.. Thompson. a large newspaper
publisher, serving a tive-year term,
which would not expire until 1923,
was first appointed by President Will
son and reappointed by Presidents
Harding and Coolidge.
In his letter of resignation Mr..
Thompson frankly stated to the
President that he wished to retire SO
that he might be free to join with
others in opposing the proposed
change in the boards management
and thus be relieved of any implica-
ton that he was prompted by self in
terest in wishing to retain his office.
Scores Polcy's Effect.
Mr.. Thompson in his letter touched
only by Inference on the recent
ella shes between the board and the
President by saying that delegation of
wider powers to the Fleet Corpora
ton. which was done at the Presi-
dents wish and later revoked by the
board itself, had destroyed regional
voice and authority" adversely affect
ed American flagship operation. and
weakened the countrys influence in
world trade.
Pointing out that the official statis-
tics Of the Department of Commerce
show that 3S per cent Of the exports
last year originated in Southern and
Southwestern States natuNh hlly tribu.
tary to Southern ports, Commissioner
Thompson reiterated that II regional
representation in the management of
the Governments shipping were
abandoned in the plans to abolish the
Shipping Board as an Independent
administrative office of the Govern.
ment similar to the Interstate Com.
merce Commission, and join 1t to some
executive branch of the Government.
his section of the country and its
people would be deprived Of a voice
in a subject vital to them.
The White House announcement
said merely that the resignation had
been rendered and accepted.
Commissioner Thompson letter of
resignation to the President, dated yes
terday, was as follows:
I'm November ] shall have served
five years as the commissioner of the
United States Shipping Board from
the Gulf States under the appoint
ments of President Wilson, President
Harding and yourself.
1T now appears certain that effort
will be made to change the present
shipping law. abolish the regional rep
resentation provided therein and make
it an executive branch instead Of as
now, an Independent administrative Of
flee of Government similar to the In
terstate Commerce Commission. wish
to retire to be free to join with others
in opposing such change without hav-
ing it construed that such opposition
was prompted by self-interest in
wishing to retain the Office. This
would neutralize whatever influence
may be possessed by myself or the
newspapers published by me.
The experience gained by nay five
Continued on Page 10, Column S.