Show AM AMERICA ICA T TO KEEP r BI BIC UN LINERS Great Britain's Claims to Imper Imperator t r and 7 Other Big Ships Are Ignored at Capital W S Sept pt 27 v vV The eight former perman lerman liners allocated to the the United States after the armistice in- in tu i gJ the orn il It ur- ur p American steamer Imperator the second largest ship afloat afloat afloat- a are e to be turned over to th the shipping board bythe by bythe bythe the war department as soon as ns necessary necessary sary surveys can be made I The British ministry of ot shipping hero had expected that the Imperator would be turned over to its a agents at 9 a a. a m. m today at Hoboken and the vessel already had been promised to the Cunard line for tor service between New York and England Decision that the ship should b be delivered to the shipping board was reached late last night at a conCer conference nce between board officials and representatives of ot otI the war department I IGNORE ENGLAND After ACter their allocation to the tho United States the tho ships were used as transports transports transports trans trans- ports and Great Britain has contended contended con con- tended that their allocation was only olly temporary and that when the movement had been completed they I were ere to revert re to the allied shipping hO pool ls for P permanent director r t of allocation operations on J J. J forthe l for forthe II I Ithe I the shipping board said today however however how how- how I ever cyer that the board held that that the the original assignment of ot the tho ships was I permanent Besides tho the Imperator the ships are the tho J Auguste Victoria Cap 1 j Graf Grat Waldersee Prinz I Friedrich WIlhelm Pretoria Mobile r I and Zeppelin All are huge passenger liners which had been laid up In InGerman inGerman German ports during the tho war After Arter I tho the armistice they were delivered to Am American naval officers olce in England All of the tho vessels are now in port In Inthis Inthis inthis this country most of ot them at New NewYork York FOR NEW LINES All of the ships will be bo delivered to the tho shipping board as soon as surveys surveys surveys sur sur- veys and necessary alterations can cani j be made It If was said that with the German liners seized in American i I ports torts when this country entered the I war the they would be used in establishing establish establish- ing ling new American freight mail mall and andI I passenger lines presumably to Great Britain and I Europe as well as to I South America BRITON SURPRISED The British h minister was greatly surprised when informed that the vessel vessel ves ves- sel would not be bo delivered i iJ J J. J II director of operations for tor the shipping board and other board officials take tako th the tho position that the tho ships became the property of ot th the United Stat States s government when they were delivered by the Germans to American naval officers at London for use as ns transports ENGLAND'S POSITION The allocation had been made b by the shipping commission at Paris and Great Britain has contended contend contend- ed that It was only temporary and that when the need for tor the ships inthe In Inthe Inthe the homeward movement of ot American troops ceased censed to exist they would re revert revert revert re- re vert to the pool for permanent permanent permanent per per- manent disposition among amon tho the associated associated asso asso- elated powers as might be agreed upon Ullon by tho the commission At the tho war department It was stated staled that tho the position of ot the department department depart depart- ment was that the ships were turned over to it by tho the shipping board boud forthe for Cor tho the specific purpose of ot transporting troops and war supplies and and that this activity having been practically concluded concluded concluded con con- tho obvious procedure was to return the vessels easels to tho the board re- re re regardless ardless of ot any ny international agreement agree agree- ment |