Show MILLIONS MILLIONS' EARNED BY UNCLE SAM i SHIPMASTER With Wi h Vessels in Operation Opera Opera- tion Government Is Mak Mak- Maki i g Pet Pct P t. t Profit i 3 By Special News Service b Wt WASHINGTON HII D. D C C. Dec 21 Unc Uncle e Sam i is now about i hops Chips each at per cent profit The government is making i millions ns as a ai i sl Shipmaster This This' money is Is' Is being x tur turned tur ted d into the tr treasury to make up in past part for the enormously costly building building- being being carried on j High 1 freight tes rules rates have not been i greatly reduced b by the go governments government's 1 4 tj paton in the shipping h business sh ess t J the government instead of the private 1 vate vate ate individual f is ig taking the cream The government pays for instance 1 1650 a a ton to the owner owner for the tho vessel ch the government has commandeered comman- comman d then the government charters W the he v vessel at 12 a ton charging m more mere reily re- re fly ily the current current commercial rate Irk Freight rates are now a matter matler of world world orld a agreement r ment The They are fixed flied by int ral shipping commission meets in London The United t S-t States s t through rough the chat chartering chartering board of I the the United States shipping board is I cooperating op r ting with the board t f The shipping situation is now dominated domi- domi I l' l ed entirely by Gr Great at Britain aid the United States Ships of these two I rations nations are d doing doing- ing nearly all all ocean tarrying carrying The United States has more I than tons in commission and the British have ha about tons torts The fleets of Scandinavia and Holland which rank next in the merchant marine marine marine ma ma- rine of the w world have been put out of oC business by the United States embargo embargo embargo em em- bargo which makes it Impossible for then them to carry cargoes that might be beof of cf f aid to Germany United States ne negotiations negotiations negotiations ne- ne for taking over o these vessels have not succeeded The Tho ships tied up in various harbors cannot move without i. bunker coal from the United States Mates and this is in most cases re re- re fused Freight charges have been kept high for two masons reasons The rhe British government government govern govern- ment ment now operating all British ships makes this one of its chief sources of revenue rho Tho United States does not wish to compete with the British merchant t marine and therefore runs the American fleet on the same terms Incidentally this government is forced to turn a large profit Incidentally also 1130 the high freight rate tends to shut shutoff shutoff shutoff off commerce in nonessentials This situation explains why certain commodities have become scarce in inv v America merica a Foreign luxuries are paying luxurious freight rates The German ships commandeered by b bythe bythe the United States have not been put into the general trade but are being I operated for government account They are doing exclusively government business business busi bUSi- ness at what it costs to do it |