ENEMY SHIPS?

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3010, 22 February 1917, Page 6

ENEMY SHIPS?

HOW ARE THEY TO BE TREATED ?

HARBOUR BOARD DISCUSSION

"That Parliament be askod to amend Sections 96 and 97 of the Harbours Act, 1908,- in the direction of permitting Harbour Boards to . increase dues and other charges on ships owned or partly owned by persons who are or who have at any time been natives of countries at war with Great Britain during tho years 1914 to JT917." The above motion was moved at the meeting of the "Wellington Harbour Board by Mr. J. G. Cobbe; who in speaking on the subject matter of the motion pointed out that the clauses of the Harbours Act referred to laid it down that foreign vessels were to be j charged the same harbour dues as ■ British vessels. It was obvious that I now was the time if ever to gain ! power to deal with the Germans, who were;' as 'cunning and unscrupulous as the late lamented Uriah Heep. It was the # custom for some people to lift up their hands in righteous indignation against the shipowners who had risen their freights, but might not that action on the part of 'directors of shipping companies arise from the fear of the post-war shipping menace? Might they not be afraid of the coming struggle for. commercial supremacy when they would have- to compete with heavily-subsidised lines? He argued thab the British companies were buildup up their reserves and writing down their ships ( against the time when the eeeond "day" came. It might happen ths.t when the war was over they would have German ships berthed at our wharves, and some of our leading men going arm in arm to the club with captains who had_ served their apprenticeship on submarines. (Laughtor.) And it was not unlikely that they would have Germans trading as the East Anglia Trading Company, and and owning vessels, not under German names, but as Bull, I M'.Kay, and Murphy, or other esseni tially British names. At this stago Mr. Cobbe quoted an extract from the London "Times," being a question asked in the Hnuso of Commons about the stock held by Germans in a number of lines running under the name of the International Mercantile Marino Cdmpany, of New Jersey, and quoted exact figures in that regard. Iu his reply Mr." Protymnn had etated that the- facts quoted were substantially correct. Of the stock in that combine, 46 per cent, was held by American stock brokr r's, 9 per cent, by Dutch people, and 45 per cent, by persons and firms with German n<(mcß. Since then a large number of shares had changed hands, but the fear was there that Germany would ultimately get control of this shipping, which included the White Star Linn, the Red Star Line, the Dominion Line, and 40 per cent, of the stock of the Shaw, Saville, ad Albion Company. The weapon ho proposed was not perhaps a very formidable one, but it might enable them to do something to help British shipping. , ■Mr. R.-A. Wright seconded the motion. He did not know whether it would have any weight with tho Government or Parliament in general, but thejr should show sympathy with the spirit of the resolution.. 'Mr. Coblis had produceß sufficient evidence to show that our shipping was in a dangerous position, and that it only needed a little stretch for the Germans to control tho shipping interests of the j world. Ho knew that thero were _ I American citizens, born in America' but who wore born of German parents, and were German in .name and deed, who were concerned in these matters It might seom nn the face of it unfair In the past British ports had been free to all. and fair nlay had been a characteristic of the British nation and Empire, and he believed that fact had done it a great amount of good, but now everything seemed to be changed. Unless they mended their ways they were m for a more serious time than ever So startling had been the revelations as to what tho German people were capable of doing that in no shape or form could they ever trust those people again. If the motion only stimulated the Government to do something in this or some direction it would have done good. He was'not as in the past. Germany was an outcast nation a nation of criminalsand should bo treated as such. c • •+' .1, Collen a S re<;d with the spirit of the resolution, and with the remarks of the last speaker. The passing of the resolution might have a great effect on people, an effect that would grow until some practical soluturn of the difficulty was found. As Mr. Wright had said everything had changed, and it appeared to him that the shipping of the future would be controlled by a limited number of heads. There had already been a revolutionary change of thought in the tree trade (Manchester) schoo in England, m favour of preferential treat meiit to our shipping and that of the Allies against our enemies. But they had to deal with the human equation, the selfishness of people who would buy in the cheapest market, and make )t impossible, or at least very difficult, for them to deal in enemy goods. He was inclined to think tha'fc the resolution was too sweeping, as it disfranchised a company from trading to this country if only one shareholder were an enemy subject. He thought it should be eent on to the Harbours Conference. It might mean the -shutting off of ■ 120.000.000 of people, but another 120,000,000 would arise somewhere else. It might be the foundation or nucleus of a self-con-tained nation, which tvould be for the good of the Empire. In his opinion j the powers sought could do no h.irni, j and, with its prohibitions, the Harj hours Act was not what it should be. I Mr. A. H. Hindniarsh understood that _ tlia board avoided politics as far as the board could discriminate what were politics. This'was a matter for I the Government. Tndeed, it was .notISO much a national as an Imperial •question. Ho believed that the ! Allies were " going ■to win. and that I Germany, as it existed, w.-vs going to Jbe destroyer], but the time might i come when Germany would be ruled by I different people—tho hope was that it miirht. become a democracy or a rei riib'ic. Those who veatl debates ind history knew that nothing happened as they thousM- it would , happen, and it was absurd'to pass such a resolution. What if a child of English .parents was born in Germany, and left it when only a week old. Because it was born there it would be a native of of the country, and if that person held a share' in a company, was Wellington going to discriminate against that company? They all agreed that Germany should be destroyed. - It had done its utmost to destroy them, and they must do their best to destroy the Germans. It was really a matter for the Imperial Government to decido how they were to deal with German shipping, or it was a question for the Imperial Conference, but for them, 16,000 miles away, to want the power to discriminate against certain companies—well, it seemed that it only needed to be stated to seo the absurdity of it. It was a magnificent subject to "skite" upon, briu they did not want "skite"; they wanted common 'sense, and, above all. honour. Mr. J. G. Harkness pointed out that the Chambers of Commerce Conference bad passed a; resolution that covered

the matter very wei), and referred to the American shipping laws aB illustrating how discrimination was practised by another Power against the vessels of other nations. He also Tead a paragraph from an Auckland paper quoting a cablegram which had been received from New York, stating that the war risk on tho Luckenbach boats was half per cent., and 2 to S per cent. on British ships. Mr. Fletcher said he was in pathy with the motion, and Mr. W. Cable said that he at one time used to indent goods direct from Germany, but ever since the Kaiser's cablegram during the South African War he had not imported a pennyworth of stuff from Germany, and when travellers for German goods came round he said there was "nothing doing." Mr. Cobbe said lie was rather surprised at the way in which the motion had been received. There was quite a lot of sympathy, but it.had not taken a practical form. Mr.' Cohen had said it was too sweeping, but th'is was not a time for sugar-plum legislation. It was the fault of English ad!lniuistrntion—it was why England had almost failed in dealing: with Ireland— because she had not faced things. He was surprised at Mr. Hindmarsh. This was a matter directly affecting sLipping. Who ought to express an opinion if not a Harbour Board? It was difficult to take Mr. Hmdmarsh's criticism seriously. As his voice Tose higher his arguments became weaker until when he renchedl his top noto the argument had disappeared 'altogether. (Laughter.) He was sorry to find sympathy with Germans, or was it that, some trade interest might he affected? They were living in strange times. The real remedy was for the Government to take over the whole of the'shippjng between this and all other countries. (Hear, hear.) The motion, on being put to the meeting, was carried without a, dissentient voice, and on the motion of Mr. J. G. Harkness, it was decided! to refer it to tho Harbour Boards Conference, which is to bo held before Parliament. assembles.