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CO ee Men Appointed by President Face Bis Problems—What Will ies Do With That $50,000,000?—Will Merchant Marine Prosper? HE personnel of the shipping - board announced on Dec. 22 by President Wilson created a sur- prise in marine circles. Aside from Bernard N. Baker, of Baltimore, who may be made chairman of the organ- ization, there was no general knowl- edge as to who would constitute its membership. Mr. Baker’s appoint- ment was anticipated. Incidentally, he is the only member of the board who is widely known by the shipping in- terests of the country. Like Mr. Baker, however, the other members have been strongly recommended by the administration as being men who are well qualified for the important tasks they are to perform. The members of the board named by the President are: William Den- man, Democrat, San Francisco, six- year term; Bernard N. Baker, Demo- crat, Baltimore, five-year term; John A. Donald, Democrat, New York City, four-year term; James B. White, Re- publican, Kansas City, three-year term; Theodore Brent, Progressive Republican, New Orleans, two-year term. Statement From White House In announcing the names of the members of the board, the White House issued the following statement giving a sketch of the life of each: “Mr. Denman is a lawyer of San Francisco, having had extensive ex- Great Lakes Ignored Shipping interests all over the country are still wondering why the Great Lakes district was not given representation on the shipping board. Out of a total documented tonnage under the American flag of 8,389,- 429, 2,818,009 tons are on the Great Lakes. Surely the needs of this great fleet are entitled to serious consideration at the hands of the board. The question even may be raised as to whether the provisions of the law have been faithfully car- ried out in the appointments as an- nounced. The law states very clear- ly that “the commissioners shall be appointed with due regard to a fair representation of the geographical divisions of the country.” Does the ignoring of the district containing a third of the American merchant marine fulfill this provision? We leave it to you. perience in admiralty cases. He is interested in the question of an Amer- ican merchant marine and is familiar with this pressing problem. He was, born in San Francisco Nov. 7, 1872; graduated from the University of Cal- ifornia in 1894, and from the Harvard law- school in 1897. Since his admis- sion to the bar of California in 1898 he has been engaged in general prac- tice, including many maritime cases. He is a member of the firm of Den- man & Arnold. Mr. Denman was as- By L. W. Moffett sistant professor of law and lecturer at Hastings College of Law and Uni- versity of California from 1902-06. He was chairman of the committee ap- pointed by the mayor of San Francisco to report on the causes of municipal corruption in San Francisco, 1908-10 and drafted the report of that commission. In 1908 he organized a_ state-wide movement in California for the non- partisan election of judges and also drafted the non-partisan majority elec- tion law, which is now part of the San Francisco charter. Mr. Baker’s Qualifications “Mr. Baker has had wide experience as a ship owner and operator, and in addition is a student of the merchant marine question. For 30 years -Mr. Baker was president of the Atlantic Transport Line, which he organized and operated and in which-he held’a controling interest. He was formerly president of the Baltimore Trust & Guaranty Co., and is a director of many commercial enterprises. He is a trustee of the Johns Hopkins Uni- versity; chairman of the Maryland conservation. commission, and mem- ber of the national joint commission on conservation. Mr. Baker was born in Baltimore, May 11, 1854, and was educated at the Sheffield Scientific School, Yale. “Mr. Donald has had a life-long ex- perience in the steamship business and International Complications Await Shipping Board W HEN the new shipping board finally gets it will find down to business, launched on a tempestuous sea. vives the storms of 1917 and starts to do business with its dinky $50,000,000 government-owned merchant marine, it may find the doors of inter- national commerce shut tight in its face. already has partially closed the gateway by her action in peremptorily refusing to renew our commercial treaty. This treaty, it will be re- called, was abrogated during the Taft administra- tion because of Russia’s refusal to admit natural- ized Jews to the czar’s realm. Now Russia, ow- ing to her obligations to her allies, coupled prob- ably with some natural resentment, politely in- forms us she doesn’t care about a treaty at all. Our merchants, she infers, may go hang. If this treaty were the only one hanging in itself If it ever sur- Russia the dust. ments. complication. 39 the balance it wouldn’t be so bad. As a matter of fact, there are 21 more that have been more or less mutilated to conform with the provisions of that prize legislative botch, the seamen’s act. It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that the shipping board may be told to tow its little fleet home, unless we want to reinstate the treaty provisions we have so thoughtlessly trampled in These provisions have to do with the arrest of deserting seamen, the allotment of wages, and other agreements for the enforcement of mari- time contracts. Vigorous objections already have been lodged by Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Austria, Holland and other European govern- Our government-owned ships may easily become enmeshed in this net of international