ONASSIS PAYS MORSE VISIT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000600090021-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 17, 1999
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: March 7, 1958
• Content Type: NSPR

MAR 1958
Approved Fo Iease 2000/05/24: CIA-RDP75-
O ASSIS PAYS
MORSE VISIT
SeeS " Him 'On Possibility Of
'Voiding Ship Deal __
By HELEN DELICH .
[Maritime Editor of The $_unj
Washington, March 6-Arts-
totle Socrates, Ouassis, one of the
world's richest men, would.,like
to a out ot:. his obligation .1.o
t tl tout '20060 deadweight
tons of sips finder the`tJnited,
States flag .,because 'of pressed mart,,cg?rigt7s .
'-ift~'fact the shipping magnate
was here from his Monte Carlo
home this week to- confer on'
the:pbssibility with Clarence G.
Morse, chairman of the Federal
Maiftime Board.
of today, there is rso
ehange in the demand by th'c;
Gornmdnt that be put this
tonp'age on the high seas under
Ambitican flag to pay off a debt
accruing from his purchase of
surplus war ships under alleged,;
false premises.
Others Confronted
Other Greek shipowner?' also:
found themselves confroiited
with charges which they -Sid-i
ei'd unf p inasinuch as' their
purcilaavere: made with t;
fuj kngy, edge of the now-
d Actc.'+Maritirise' Commission.
Approv
with United States Govern-
in t, 2r'- O.assis said he
wk d build a 106,000 deadweight
0161116 (which would be the
la dst in the world) and ttivo
-tonners under the Amer-
46101
icaa flag.
Because of the extremely poor
condition of the ship charter'
market, the shipping magnate
would like to be able to get out
of this agreement,
Could Fc-rfeit $8,000,000 Bond
He 0ould automatically by
simply' forfeiting an $8,000,000
bond he has posted with the
Government. But it is unlikelyi
that he would be tempted to
sacrifice this sum of money.
In addition to the. three ships
mentioned, the Onassis interests
have .under construction at
Bethlehem's - Quincy (Mass.)
Shipyard two 46,000-tonners for
foreigrf flag. It is believed that
he will transfer these two to
American registry in order to
fulfill that part of his obligation
to the Government, and cancel
the building of two under for-
eign registry.
As far as the, 106,000-ton ship
Is concerned; speculators be-
lieve that if he cannot get the
Maritime Administration to
agree-to cancellation at a "rea-
sonable" ` loss, he will eit1ier
hostpone its construction or
Font eas,?>,b"I: CIA-
j him)., -
CPYRGHT
STATINTL
RDP75-00149R000600090021-7