Evening star., 1925-09-12
Public Tries to Interpret
Moves in Ship Board Fight
Public

Friction over Shipping Board poll.
cies which resulted in the recent re
quest by President Coolidge for the
resignation of Bert E. Haney, who
had only recently been reappointed
to the board by the President, has led
to a variety of interpretations. A
contrast. for instance, between the
attitude of the Shipping Board and
that of the Fleet Corporation is
drawn by the Baltimore Evening Sun.
The former is charged by the Sun
with being sectional in that it is
composed of men who want to see
the business Of New England favor
ed, or the business of the West coast
favored, or the business of the Gulf
of Mexico favored" The Emergency
Fleet Corporation, on the other hand,
according to the Sun, 'is national in
a more comprehensive sense" and the
Sun argues: "If this contrast Is kept
in mind, it is possible for the ordinary
reader to understand some aspects at
least of the never-ending squabble
between Admiral Palmer on the one
hand and the Shipping Board on the
other. President Coolidge has con-
sistently taken the part of Admiral
Palmer"
Another feature of the situation, as
presented by the Wheeling Intelli-
gencer, is that 1.-The issue seems to be
that Haney wishes to expand and
maintain the Government shipping
activities, while President Coolidge
seeks to contract and to take the
Government out of the shipping busi-
ness" The Intelligencer believes that
the American people, as whole, ARE
heartily tired of the Shipping Board
and it's fruitless waste of money"
From the Western coast, however.
comes the assertion that the issue is
wider than one involving the individ.
ual concerned. The Portland Jour
nal says: THE action of President
Coolidge in demanding the resigna-
ton of Commissioner Haney insures
titanic struggle between the Presi-
dent and Congress over shipping mat
ters, the result of which will def
nitely seal the fate of the American
merchant marine" The Journal be-
lieves that through Admiral Palmer
the President has gained firm hand
in the shipping business, contrary to
the intention of Congress and con-
trary to the Jones act" and that
"Haney is fighting the battle of every
Independent port in America"
X X n
Mr. Haney's denial that at the time
of his reappointment by President
Coolidge there was an understanding
that he would support Mr.. Palmer,
and his statement that he. would con-
tinue to work for the removal of Mr..
Palmer inspire the comment by the
ST. Paul Dispatch: Nothing could
be more typical Of the temper, the
chickering's and disputes which were
the badge of the boards incompe-
tence for its task than Mr.. Haney's
statement. 1t was just this sort of
thing that finally made it necessary
for the President to turn to Mr.. Pal
mer" Still further hope that the
President will force the issue is ex-
pressed by the Rock Island Argus,
with the statement: There has been
enough scandal in connection with
the Shipping Board to satisfy the
public that the President Is not with
out justification in his announced de-
termination to clean up the whole
situation as soon as possible" From
similar standpoint the Philadelphia
Bulletin sees a probability that the
President will conclude that the en-
tire board could be dispensed with in
the interest of efficiency, economy
and harmony with administration
policies"
There is no doubt" suggests the