Presidential Documents

28887

Federal Register

Vol. 63, No. 100

Tuesday, May 26, 1998

Title 3—

The President

Proclamation 7098 of May 21, 1998

National Maritime Day, 1998

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

The United States is and has always been a maritime Nation. Our history

is tied to the sea—from the Santa Maria to the Mayflower, from clipper

ships to ocean liners, from the Liberty Ships of World War II to the huge,

efficient containerships of the 1990s—and our development as a Nation

has paralleled the growth of our waterborne commerce.

As we look forward to the challenges of the 21st century, we continue

to rely on our Nation’s maritime industry and the U.S. Merchant Marine

to keep America competitive in an increasingly global economy. Ships and

barges carry more than one billion tons of commercial cargo annually between

ports within our Nation. Internationally, more than 95 percent of our imports

and exports by weight are transported on water—a total of more than one

billion metric tons of cargo each year.

We also depend on America’s maritime industry and Merchant Marine to

fill a crucial role in protecting our national interests and the security of

our allies. Throughout our history, in times of conflict or crisis, the owners,

operators, and crews of U.S.-flag commercial vessels have provided vital

sealift capability in support of our Armed Forces, advancing defense, peacekeeping, and humanitarian missions across the globe.

Our maritime industry has made many important contributions to the economic strength and defense capability of our Nation, and my Administration

has worked with the Congress to implement new approaches to ensure

the industry’s continued viability. Our National Shipbuilding Initiatives are

helping to improve the competitiveness of America’s maritime industry by

seeking to eliminate foreign subsidies, assisting the industry’s international

marketing efforts, eliminating unnecessary government regulations, and enhancing private sector financing of shipbuilding through Federal loan guarantees. Under the Maritime Security Program, the Federal Government contracts

with owners and operators of U.S.-flag vessels to supplement our military

sealift capability and gains access to a fleet of modern commercial ships

and the sophisticated intermodal transportation system that supports it. Together, these programs protect our Nation’s economic interests and our national security by ensuring that U.S.-flag vessels will always sail in the

sea lanes of the world.

In recognition of the importance of the U.S. Merchant Marine, the Congress,

by a joint resolution approved May 20, 1933, has designated May 22 as

‘‘National Maritime Day’’ and has authorized and requested the President

to issue annually a proclamation calling for its appropriate observance.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States

of America, do hereby proclaim May 22, 1998, as National Maritime Day.

I urge all Americans to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities and by displaying the flag of the United States at

their homes and in their communities. I also request that all ships sailing

under the American flag dress ship on that day.
28888 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 100 /Tuesday, May 26, 1998 / Presidential Documents

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first

day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-eight,

and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred

[FR Doc. 98–14087

Filed 5–22–98; 10:37 am]

Billing code 3195–01–P

and twenty-second.

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