Show u us S MAY RUN MORE VESSELS America Plans Going Into Ship Business On Gigantic Scale ScaleBy By ROBERT S THORNBURGH International News Service WASHINGTON April 14 An A Anticipating the impossibility of at sell sen- sellIng Ing the fleet the gov- gov government eminent Is preparing to go into the shipping business on a gigantic scale to end forever the tho ho menace of ot foreign ocean competition and Md to put the American merchant maili mailion on the seven seas President harding and n A I D of the shipping tonight propounded our oW future mar mar- possibilities ies SELL ALL OR NONE Bids will be bo asked In the tho opt open market Unless s satisfactory offers for lor ships operating on a number of oC routes are forthcoming the plan of o pla placing mg the merchant marino marine In private hands bands will sill he be abandoned tor abandoned for Cor the llIe present Lask Lasker said ships operating on payIng trade rade routes would not be sold un- un unless Unless w wess less ess those on less profitable ble routes also w ere era sold Failure to sell the fleet meal means that hat the llIe government will go Into the shipping business on a larger and more more aggressive lve scale than tha has ever over been attempted LasH Laske I declared I I am confident the next session of congress will authOrize a big appropriation for tor a 0 recon recon- reconstruction program The president and the shipping board feel Ceel a reseT e fleet t must be maIntaIned so 50 as to serve notice to tors all over the world that the tho United States go government Is pre pre- prepared prepared pr pared to meet any competition or emergency LOSSES REDUCED The chairman pointed out th t additional appropriation from con congress gross gress was not an essential point In the administrations administration's shipping program since the present fleet leet flee and reserve were adequate President Harding and members of ot tho the shipping board It developed after fter a conference at the House today are certain better r service at less cost can be give given the public through government ep- ep i p- p oration than by the present man man- managing m-iB m aging agent plan Lasker poin ed d dout out when the administration tok over the emergency fleet the an an- an anneal neal anal loss was Dy By re revisions of o the service the lo lobs loa s was vas cut to a year ONLY AS LAST RESORT President Harding believes a go gov- gov government operated merchant marine may stabilize the world orld shipping it was learned although both the thi president and Lasker made It plain they hey are unalterably opposed ed to ti government operation except as i a alast alast last ast resort The ships ships- on the newly arranged runs will be offered for tor sale Bid Bid- Bidders Bidders ders will be required to offer lain tain guarantees for operation ove over these hese routes 0 I I doubt seriously If It the govern govern- government ment meat can sell the ilia fleet flett Lasko Laskor said We are therefore determined to o take this step that the States may be free on the tho seas am and dependent on no other country The government fleet of ot passes passes- passenger ger vessels headed beaded by tho the Levi Levi- Leviathan Leviathan athan the llIe wonder vonder ship of ol the thi world is not included in tho new program The linen are operated d through agents on a plan regarded as ab as satisfactory This Thie plan will be continued |