A Constitutional Monarchy

The proposed separation of the Emergency Fleet Corporation and the Shipping Board (TIME, Jan. 14) was carried out, in modified form. Admiral Leigh C. Palmer was formally made President of the Corporation, at a salary of $25,000 a year, with power to operate the Government's fleet and full authority over the personnel of the Corporation.

This operation was carried out by a resolution of the Board delegating its powers to the Corporation. President Coolidge approved. Admiral Palmer approved, but made it plain that his approval was limited.

The reason that the Admiral was not satisfied was that the Board had tied conditions to its gift. The salaries of the officials of the Corporation must be approved by the Board; the Board reserves control over any litigation undertaken by the Corporation; the power to fix routes remains with the Board; sales of Corporation property must be at prices and under conditions to which the Board consents. The Board, of course, retains its regulatory powers over shipping in general. Otherwise Admiral Palmer is to have a free hand.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, Walter Evans Edge of New Jersey introduced a bill for the abolition of the Shipping Board and providing that the direction of the Government's Merchant Marine be centralized in the control of one man.

Said Mr. Edge: "I want it to be clearly understood that it is in no wise a reflection on any of the individual members of the board ... I have had some experience in business administration and I can see nothing but confusion when a purely executive function has seven heads with equal responsibility. ... If there ever was a responsibility which required, in my judgment, one strong, powerful, executive head, it is the administration of the American Merchant Marine."