Evening star., 1925-11-05
ARMY REVIEWS PLEA
FOR 0B|GL|NERS
O'Connor Insists Pan-Ameri-
can Line Boats Cannot Be
Made Transports.

The War Department appealed yes
terday to the chief co-ordinator's of.
nee of the Budget Bureau, which has
supervision over material and surplus
supplies of the Government, in an et.
Tort to obtain the steamers American
Legion and the Southern Cross of the
Pan-American Line for use as trans
ports in the Pacific.
The action, however. did not halt
negotiations being conducted by the
Shipping Board for sale of the line,
although the Co.ordinators Office
which is headed by Col. X. c. Smither,
immediately took up the matter with
Chairman O'Connor. and he agreed to
conference on the question at the
co.ordinators ) office tomorrow with
War Department officials present.
The board recently denied a War
Department request for the ships.
however and there are indications
that some Of the commissioners would
oppose recognizing the new move TO
get them, even to the extent of being
represented at the conference Friday.
Not Surplus" O'Connor Says.
MIR. O'Curuor. meanwhile. instruct
ed the boards general counsel to op-
.pose the departments move vigorous
~ and. if found advisable, TO chal-
lenge the Jurisdiction of the general
ro-ordinator office in the matter on
The ground that title TO the vessels is
vested in the board by the merchant
marine act and tie ships are not sur
plus material.
While War Department officials, es-
pecially Maj. Con. William II. Hart,
he quarteTmaster general. who is IN
derStOod to have initiated the step for
the department, We're silent and the
letter of appeal to the general co-ordi-
rator was not made public, Shipping
Board officials maintained that to COM
ply with the request would mean the
breaking up of the Pan-American line.
The line is regarded as one of the
most valuable in the possession of the
Shipping Board, and. If sold will be
disposed Of TO Americans under a
guarantee to maintain operation for
at least five years. To abandon it, of
tiCials hold, would turn the business
II is handling over to the competing
British Lamport & Holt line.
The War Department is understood
o base its claim TO the ships on an
arrangement reached when thew were
built during the war that they were to
lie turned over for transport service in
1920, but Shipping Board officials con-
lend that the few ships it has of that
class are all in active service and It
IS essential to maintain the four of
the Pan-American line in operation.
German Ships Not Wanted.
The ships were designed for possible
transport service and as they are
equinad for the tropics, the War De.
partment regards them 40 highly de-
sirable Tor use in the Pacific in place
of the old transports Grant and
Thomas. When the board denied the
recent request from the American Le-
sion and Southern Cross it offered
the former German liners, Agammem-
non and Mount Vernon, which are
lied up at the Army base at Norfolk,
Va, but the department refused to
take them on the ground that too
much money would be required to re-
condition them
Instead of ha1ting negotiations for
sale of the line pending decision in
The matter. President Crowley of the
Fleet Corporation left late yesterday
for New York to continue discussions
with the Munson Steamship Line and
Moore & Mccormick, each of whom
have bid more than $4,000, 900 for the
line and It's four 535-foot ships.
Mr. Crowley has been instructed to
negotiate with the two bidders and
report his conclusions to the board for
ffnal action, probably next week.