Representatives of the American and British governments acted Friday to protect the interests of the steamship lines in the German trade following the announcements that new restrictions on the shipping of foreign passengers in Germany would be rigidly enforced.
According to the new German regulations, foreign firms would be allowed to remit to their home office only $65.00 per passenger. The minimum for a one way fare from Germany to the United States is about $102.50.
American shipping companies asked the State Department to instruct Ambassador William E. Dodd to ascertain the facts and to take such action as is necessary to protect American rights.
Basil Harris, vice president of the United States Lines, said that the reasoning of the German government was not clear to the American shipping men.
“It does not seem possible that a government which is apparently interested in developing friendly relations with the United States and whose commerce is definitely tied up with the United States (83 per cent of the trans-Atlantic trade is known to be American) would attempt to limit the transfer of an American ship line’s funds in this manner,” he said.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
