SHIPPING WAR

Hokitika Guardian, 29 December 1928, Page 5

SHIPPING WAR

BRITAIN AND UNITED STATUS

CUNARD LINE PROTEST,

AT ACTION OK U.S. SHIPPING BOARD.

Onited Press Association —By Electric

Telegraph—Copyright)

('Received this day at. !). a.m.) NEW YORK, December 28

What is regarded in some quarters as tantamount to a shipping war between Britain and Knifed State's, for the South American trade, took a more serious turn to-day, with the publication hy tin* Cunard Line oi a statement giving a hint ol a possible court action against the United States Ship ping Board.

Tim statement was in the form of a letter to T. K. O’Connor (Chairman of the Shipping Board) from Robert Blake (Associate Director of the Cunard Bines) and charged the Board with a violation of the United States federal Statute. The Cunard Line resented the Board’s action in placing the steamship President Roosevelt at the disposal of Ward lines, alter the ( tinard Company had announced that the Cunarder, Caronia, would he used lot the Havana service. The Caronia started the initial voyage on the new run with a full passenger list on 27th December.

The President Roosevelt will start the first Havana trip on dth January, coinciding with the date of the Caionin’s second voyage.

O’Connor had stated the Board, was merely following the customary policy of aiding American merchant marine companies, but the Cunard statement <harged the Board with a violation of Section U of the Shipping Act. 1920, which liars the use of a “ fighting ship,” which it defines: The term ••fighting ship” in this Act means a vessel used in a particular trade by a carrier or group of carriers for the purpose of excluding, preventing, or reducing competition, by driving another carrier out of the said trade.

The statement concludes: “ Oni proper course in such eireumstai.es as now confront us, would naturally he to refer the matter to your Board, hut as the ship involved is the Board’s vessel mid is put into trade on the terms piove desribed, by the Board, we may ind it necessary, if we are damaged :o an y appreciable extent, to appeal to die courts for relief.”