Bentley, Helen Delich, statement by. Downing, Hon. Thomas N., U.S. Representative from Virginia_ Dwyer, Hon. Florence P., U.S. Representative from New Jersey. Fallon, Hon. George H., U.S. Representative from Maryland- Friedel, Hon. Samuel N., U.S. Representative from Maryland. Garmatz, Hon. Edward A., U.S. Representative from Maryland Heckler, Hon. Margaret M., U.S. Representative from Massachusetts. Mathias, Hon. Charles McC., Jr., U.S. Senator from Maryland. Hathaway, Hon. William D., U.S. Representative from Maine. Hearn, George H., a Commissioner of the Federal Maritime Com- Smith, Hon. Margaret Chase, U.S. Senator from Maine. ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS AND LETTERS Articles by and about Mrs. Bentley.. Farrell, James A., Jr., letter of September 30, 1969. Kyros, Hon. Peter, Ú.S. Representative from Maine, statement MRS. HELEN DELICH BENTLEY, OF MARYLAND, TO BE CHAIRMAN, FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1969 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, The committee met at 9 a.m., in room 5110, New Senate Office Building, Hon. Russell B. Long, presiding. Present: Senators Long, Hart, Cannon, Hollings, Inouye, Tydings, Spong, Cotton, and Baker. Senator LONG. The committee will come to order. The committee will consider the nomination of Mrs. Helen Delich Bentley, who has been nominated to be Chairman, Federal Maritime Commission. Mrs. Bentley's biography will be put in the record in full. (The biography follows:) HELEN DELICH BENTLEY Helen Delich Bentley was nominated by President Richard Nixon on August 11, 1969 to be a member and chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission. Mrs. Bentley, 45, the daughter of Michael and Mary Delich, was born in Ruth, Nevada. She received her Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri in 1944. Helen Bentley has been Maritime Editor of the Baltimore Sun since 1948, and from 1950 to 1964 she produced a weekly television documentary, “The Port that Built the City." In 1954 she received an award from the Steamship Trade Association of Baltimore for distinguished work on labor matters concerning the port. In 1957 and 1958 she received the American Merchant Marine Institute special award for television shows on maritime matters; the AFL-CIO Maritime Port Council of the Maritime Trades Department of the Port of Greater New York Award for meritorious service to the nation's maritime industry; and in 1968 the Propeller Club of United States American Merchant Marine Writers Award. Since 1965 she has served as a public relations counselor for the American Association of Port Authorities. Mrs. Bentley is listed in "Who's Who of American Women," "Who's Who in the East," and "Who's Who in Commerce and Industry." She is married to William R. Bentley and they reside at 408 Chapel Wood Lane, Lutherville, Maryland. Senator LONG. While we are waiting for the witnesses to appear, I'm going to call Representative Friedel to make his statement. STATEMENT OF HON. SAMUEL N. FRIEDEL, U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM MARYLAND Mr. FRIEDEL. Good morning, Senator, and members of the subcom¡mittee. I am very pleased to join with my colleagues in testifying in favor of the nomination of Mrs. Helen Delich Bentley to be Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission. President Nixon has made a wise choice in his selection of Helen Bentley to fill this important post. When the President announced Mrs. Bentley's nomination he stated, "She has established a record of professional excellence unsurpassed by any maritime expert in the country." In this judgment, I agree with the President 100 percent. During her distinguished career as maritime editor of the Baltimore Sun, Helen Bentley has been recognized throughout the world as one of our foremost contemporary writers on maritime affairs. She has gained this recognition and also gained the respect of the men who man the ships, the longshoremen on the docks, the shipowners, and Members of Congress, who are concerned with our merchant marine, because she works hard and is not afraid to go where the action is. From the docks in Baltimore, to the military bases in South Vietnam, to the icy Northwest Passage, Helen Bentley goes where the ships go and writes about them from firsthand knowledge. For many years she has warned us of the alarming decline in our merchant marine, and the growing threat to our commerce and trade, posed by the buildup of the Soviet merchant fleet. Although her primary concern as Chairman of the Federal Martime Commission will be the regulation of services and the rates of our waterborne commerce, I am confident that she will work closely with the Federal Maritime Administrator in insuring a maximum effort to revitalize our merchant marine. Senator LONG. Thank you very much, Congressman. I believe Representative Garmatz is here. We would like to invite you to say a word or two about this appointment. STATEMENT OF HON. EDWARD A. GARMATZ, U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM MARYLAND Mr. GARMATZ. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to appear before this distinguished committee to recommend the appointment of Helen Delich Bentley as Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission. I have known Helen Bentley for over 21 years, and in that time I have often been impressed and amazed at her keen grasp of the highly complex and diversified maritime industry. As the maritime editor of the Baltimore Sun, she has gained national and even international recognition as one of the world's foremost authorities on the American merchant marine. But this reputation goes far beyond Helen Bentley, the reporter. There is another side to the coin. Because she is an expert in her field, this dynamic and talented woman has been sought out by all segments of the American shipping industry—including both labor and manage ment. She has often been asked for advice and assistance, and she has always been willing to lend such assistance-especially if it were for the betterment of the American merchant marine, or any other segment of the shipping or shipbuilding industry. |