Evening star., 1941-03-02
u. 5. Plans System
0fDispatehing Ships
To Relieve Shortage
Ports of Coll and Curgoe:
Would Be Assigned by
Maritime Commission
BY WILLIAM J. WHEATLEY.

BY WILLIAM j. WHEATLEY.
With ocean-borne cargo to and
from the United States already af-
fected by the shortage of ships to
move war materials, the Maritime
Commission is planning an opera
tions system which will direct ships
10 areas where ports are likely to
be clogged.
According to shipping men, the
program is largely one of prepara-
ton for any emergency. 1t would
provide a co-ordinated scheme for
communicating ships and giving
them governmental assignments of
both ports of call and cargoes.
Ports here in South America and
abroad to which United States flag
ships ply are not clogged at present,
because exporters and importers are
not handling orders until they are
certain ships are available, shipping
men report. 1t would merely add to
shipping expense to send cargoes to
the docks to await shipment, because
after a certain amount of free stor-
age time, expenses mount.
Also, it was pointed out that ship
operators are taking the more de-
sirable and remunerative cargoes.
One importer, for instance, had
trouble in getting Philippine mahog-
any into this country, because its
bulk and difficulty of handling made
ship operators reluctant to pick it up.
Robson Made Director.
All of these problems are to be
handled by the commissions new
emergency shipping division, for
which practical ship operators have
been recruited. H. Harris Robson,
vice president and director of the
United Fruit Co., has been made
director, to be assisted by another
United Fruit official, NJ. L. Wilcox,
who, until two years ago. was di-
rector of operations and traffic for
the commission.
The division will maintain liaison
with the Navy and War Depart
ments, Reconstruction Finance
Corp, Office of Production Manage
.ment, State Department and all
other Government departments and
agencies interested in ocean trans
portation. 1t will have Supervi-
sion over sales, charters, transfers,
reallocations, reassignments and re-
QUESTIONS of all vessel tonnage in
connection with this emergency
transportation. 1t is a result of
the appointment by President
Roosevelt of Rear Admiral Emory
S. Land, chairman of the Mari
time Commission, to coordinate all
OF the Nations shipping activities.
The greatest pinch at this time,
1t was said, is on the routes between
United States and South American
Atlantic ports. 1t was added that
while current shipping is able to
supply raw materials for current
industrial purposes, it is not pos
slble to haul enough to put any
great amount in stock piles" for
emergency used to handle a sudden
speeding up of defense production.
Must Collect Mass of Data.
A gigantic task, it was said, faces
the new division, which will have
to collect a mass of data on needs,
availability of cargoes, routes and
ships. A big operations board must
be prepared to give a world picture
at any time on the location and
movement of all ships.
Meanwhile, four cargo vessels,
which will be used principally in
movement of strategic materials re-
quired for national defense, were
chartered yesterday by the Mari
time Conission to two shipping
companies.
The Polybius and the West Ches-
wald were chartered to the America
South African Line, Inc. of New
York for s20580 and S17,174 a
month, respectively.
The Seas Shipping Co.. Inc, also
of New York, will pay $20,630 and
$17,106, respectively, a month for
chartering the Eldena and the
Seattle Spirit.
The vessels will be operated be-
tween Atlantic ports and South and
East Africa.