HC Deb 13 June 1907 vol 175 cc1603-4
MR. FELL

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that the International Mercantile Marine Company, which has its head office at Hoboken, New Jersey, U. S A., owns or controls the following steamship lines, the White Star, Red Star, American, Leyland, Atlantic Transport, and Dominion, he will explain why the Board of Trade Shipping Returns include the White Star among the British ships without any note or explanation.

MR. KEARLEY

As explained to the hon. Member in an Answer which my right hon. friend gave to a Question by him on the 27th May, all vessels registered as British are classed as such in the compilation of the official Shipping Returns. This is the general practice of all maritime countries. The vessels of the White Star Line are registered British vessels. Possibly the hon. Member would profit by a careful perusal of the agreement embodied in the Parliamentary Paper Cd. 1704.

AN HON. MEMBER

asked if it were not the fact that the International Mercantile Marine and the White Star Line were entirely controlled by British subjects living in this country.

[No Answer was returned.]

Question. I will have the particulars asked for in the second Question printed in the Votes.

The particulars referred to were as follows:—