Evening star., 1943-03-30
Maritime Commission
Accused by Aiken
OF Mismanagement
Vermonter Leeds Fight
Against Confirmation
Of Lund Reoppointment
Earlier Story on Page A-1D

tEarE1er Story on Page ALL
By the Associated Press
Accusing the Maritime Com
mission of seven alleged acts Of
acknowledgement and. collusion,
Senator Aiken, Republican, of
Vermont told the Senate today
he had only scratched the sur
face of what is destined to be-
come the most revolving scandal
in the history Of national expen-
ditures."
Fighting against Senate confirma-
ton of President Roosevelts renom-
ination of Rear Admiral Emory s.
Land to six-year term as chairman
of the commission, Senator Aiken
charged that:
81. 1t has requisitioned ships for
sale to the Army and Navy. and has
reimbursed itself for certain costs
fro mthe funds of these departments
In manner not authorized by law.
The total of such unauthorized
augmentation of its funds is appar-
emily over $l00,0OO,OOO.
''2. 1t has failed to recapture ex-
cess profits from shipbuilders, though
required by law to do 50.
IS. 1t has paid illegal and exor-
bitantly high prices for old ships.
a. 1t has insured old ships at ex-
cessive values. thus making public
funds liable for unjustifiable pay
ments to shipowners in case of loss.
IS. 1t has approved charter rates
which have resulted in excessively
high profits being made by certain
selected ship operators.
g. 1t has permitted waste, ex-
travagance and incompetency to ex-
ist in shipyards over which It had
full control.
u. 1t has allowed ships it virtually
owned by reason of the default Of
debtor corporations to 60 into pri-
vate hands, then paid the new own
ers exorbitant prices for the same"
BlAmes Land.
Senator Aiken said the alleged
illegal expenditures, incompetence
and wastefulness of which he ac-
cused the commission. occurred
with the full knowledge of the
chairman"
Earlier in opening five hours of
debate on the subject, Chairman
Bailey of the Senate Commerce
Committee which gave its unani-
nous approval to Admiral Lands
nomination, said he asked conf1rma-
tion only on the merits" of the
chairman's work.
But" he added, IF there is any
man IN government whose services
are indispensable now and for sew
eral years to come, it is Admiral
Land"
The difference between the sale of
five old ships to the Waterman
Steamship Corp. number of years
ago for 100000 and the subsequent
purchase of an equal number of
vessels for much greater sum.
Senator Bailey declared in referring
to one of the charges. was largely
difference in the condition Of the
ships.
Defends Ship Sales.
The Government sold the five YES
sells when they were in need of
$500 900 worth of repairs, but pur-
chased the five others lin going
condition. he said. adding that
ship values, too, had risen greatly.
The ships sold could have been
requisitioned. he agreed. but requi-
sitioning wasn't favored as a Gov
ernment policy.
Turning to other charges that
shipping interests were making
large profits, he said:
What is wrong with the ship
ping industry making good profits?
Are we to get mad at them because
they are not operating at loss
For 100 years we had been stringdng
along with broken down merchant
marine"
AS other Land supporters inter-
rupted occasionally to voice praise
OF his qualifications, Senator Bailey
took up each charge of alleged ir-
regularity reported by Controller
General Warren against the Mari
time Commission.
The effect of the whole thing"
Senator Bailey said. lis to place in
the mind something to create sus-
picinr