For Sale

Getting the troops out of the trenches was statesmanship's task in the last decade. Getting the U. S. out of businesses into which the War forced it has been a task which President Coolidge has set himself. Congress changed the latter, last spring, to facilitate getting the U. S. out of the shipping business, and President Coolidge appointed new men to the Shipping Board--men not enamored of government operation. Since these changes, the Shipping Board has met to consider its duty. Last week it voted to sell the three large merchant fleets remaining under U. S. ownership:

1) The United States Lines, comprising the S. SS. Leviathan, George Washington, America, Republic, President Harding, President Roosevelt.

2) The American Merchant Lines--the S. SS. American Merchant, American Banker, American Shipper, American Trader, American Farmer.

3) The American Palmetto Line--ten ships.

Also the troopships (oldtime German liners) Monticetto and Mount Vernon.

All the ships were authorized for sale, none for charter. Only U. S. bidders need apply. Bids were invited for any of eight different combinations of the ships, one combination requiring the promise to construct two fast new mail ships.

When the vote to sell was made public last week, a Rotterdam bulletin published a report that "the Shipping Board will be dissolved. . . . Bids received . . . have Deen approved. . . ."

Vexed, Chairman Thomas V. O'Connor, of the Shipping Board, denounced this as Rotterdamaging "foreign' propaganda" put forth (he said) for ulterior purposes in a foreign rate war. Even when the sales are effected--probably months hence--the Shipping Board will not at once dissolve. The Shipping Board's ultimate purpose is to build up U. S. shipping. Bids of every form must carry certain guarantees of performance by the purchasers. Any one buying the Palmetto Line, for example, must guarantee 24 round voyages per annum between South Atlantic ports and Continental Europe for five years. The Shipping Board is the logical agency to see such guarantees fulfilled, to take back the ships in case of default.