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Show AMERICAN StS ARE UNPROTECTED SHIPS NOT AFFECTED BY OPEP AJ'N AGREEMENTS BETWEEN AMERICAN CO. AND BRITA,N International Marine President Tell. United States shipping Board British Agreement Not Un. favorable- to U. S. New York-0K.r,.tlng iiKrwiiienu be ween the Inlomnthm,,! Mercnn.Uo A mine compuny, un American corpnr ntlon, mm Hip UrlilHi, wMcnmiwii. .iM not affect the eoinpmiy' Aiiu-rlmn llngshlps, even before the drafting of a supplementary agreement ie(tute. by the shipping board, I'. A. s. I'i,.;.k-Un, I'i,.;.k-Un, president of the Internailonnl Mercantile Mer-cantile Marine, told members of the hoard at u .special hearing here Tuei-day. Tuei-day. The healing s ciiILmI to obtain from Mr. Franklin a recital of details of the IIritlf.li agreenient, which was attacked by Senator Jones of Washing, ton before its amendment as being Inimical In-imical to the foreign commerce or the I'nltcd Stales. Senator Jones charged It bound the company "to pursue no policy Injurious to the Interests of the Hrltlsh merchant marine or of Hilt-Ish Hilt-Ish trade." The agreement, originally drafted In 1003, was sought by the company, .Mr. Franklin told the board, to offset advantages ad-vantages gained by the Canard line When the lit Itlsli government began to build up that line by loans and favorable fa-vorable mall contracts, following acquisition ac-quisition of Hrltlsh tonnage by the International Mercantile Slarlne. The agreement gave the International Mercantile Mer-cantile Marine thebenellt of Hrltlsh ninll and other valuable contracts. He denied that It hnd been kept secret as ehurg(id by Senator Jones." "During nineteen years of operating operat-ing under these agreements," he continued, con-tinued, "we have never been Interfered with by the Hrltlsh government in the lnanngement of our ships, mid no restraint re-straint of nny kind has ever been placed upon us. "During this entire period we have had American flagships In competition with Hrltlsh ships and Hrltlsh llag-ships llag-ships which we own in strong unit continuous competition with the Cu-mini Cu-mini and other Hrltlsh companies." ' Mr. Franklin emphasized that the compnny was un American corporation, corpora-tion, 0HV4 per cent of Its stock being owned by American cltlKens. Only one-half one-half of 1 per cent or the stock Is held by Kngllch Investors, he said, and n similar amount by Canadians. He asserted that, recognizing the development of national aspirations for an American merchant murine, the compnny began negotiations In 1018 to dispose of Its Hrltlsh llugsli'.ps to a nritisli syndicate, but that the sale was stopped at the request of President Presi-dent Wilson. Hu. read three letters from Sir. Wilson Wil-son In support of his assertion and also re.id excerpts from the Congressional Con-gressional Itccord to shw that Senator Sena-tor Jones was one of those who opposed op-posed the sale. He added that the United States government then bought the ships, but later withdrew from the transaction. Continuing, Mr. Franklin reviewed efforts of the company to buy thirty-four thirty-four former Herman slUps from I lie United States for a total of 28.W,l)(H) audi said the company had offered to agree to keep the ships forever under the American llag. "We acted without consultation with or Interference from the Hrltlsh government gov-ernment In this mutter," he declared. |