New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1910-03-26
SHIPS, NOT POLITICS
WANTED,

" -
least delay, will encourage III a
practical way the upbulldlng of
the American Merchant Marine" "
is the burden Of thousands nf let
ters that have been sent by the
Board Of Trade, The Progressive
Union and The Business Men S
League of New Orleans to Sena-
tors, Representatives, Editors,
commercial organizations through
out the Union, to labor bodies, and
to very nearly every class Of men
in position to bring forecf'll in
fluence to bear on Congress.
In recent years New Orleans
has spent tens of millions Of dol
lars III acquiring public ownership
Of its wharves and landings, III
building a public owned belt rail
road, in laying paved streets, and
in securing other facilities neces1
sary to eliminate determinations
against import and export com
merce and against the individual
shipper. Other millions will be
invested by individuals in build
ing modern river front warehous-
es. Still other millions will go
into an exposition to celebrate the
opening Of the Panama Canal.
Recently the commercial bodies
of New Orleans began to look into
the future. When the great ditch
across Panama shall have opened
the South American and Far East
crn markets to the producers OF
the Mississippi ValDey-and were
amazed to earn that the almost.
total decadence Of the American
Merchant Marine placed New Or
leans, the Gulf ports, and the Val
ley completely at the mercy of
foreign ship owners who III turn
were behoIden to their home gov
ernments. Since each government
will protect it's own merchants,
the foreign nations owning mer-.
chant ships will invariably have
the advantage in the new markets
to be opened up by the Panama
Canal if no American Merchant
Marine be built up.
Then began New Orleans live
ly campaign to awake Congress
10 action.
Scores of replies have come
from Democratic congressman
preaching partisan politics, and in
each case the New Orleans EX-
changes have answered that the
demand for practical Merchant
Marine legislation comes from
not politicians, and
that these merchants want ships
first and arguments last.
1t is very essential that the
Democratic and Republican Repre-
sentatives get together, make
ever concessions to each other that
may be found necessary, agree
upon a practical bill, and pass it
at this session of ongres,' said
M. b. Trezevant of The
New Orleans Progressive Union.
Producers, consumers, import
ters and exporters throughout the
Mississippi Valley will not com
placently wait while partisan dis
on the Merchant Marine
question unnecessarily obstruct
Of a practical meas
ure," said Manager William Allen
of the Business Mems League
''Our commerce needs ships. A
direct subsidy measure will be
helpful. A free ship provision
will Immediately gives fleets Of
merchantmen. Com
promise is therefore possible, and
the Gulf States will surely hold
partisan Obstructionists strictly
accountable" 4"
'Harbor, wharf, warehouse
and terminal improvements at
New Orleans are fast being made,
and will soon give importers and
throughout the Valley
every facility for doing business
with foreign markets that can be
provided by wide awake port.
But without American ships the
commerce Of the Great Valley
will continue to be handicapped,
Panama Canal or no Panama Ca
nal" said Secretary Herring of
the Board Of Trade.
These three organizations in
clude within their membership ,
practically every merchant and
business man Of any standing in
New Orleans, and the views ex
pressed reflect the sentiment that
is fact taking hold of the CONNER
cial interests at aid Gulf ports.
Here this sentiment is looked upon
as foreshadowing a broader atti-
tude on national politics. ut is
ships wewant, not partisan Is
sues may now be heard in every
place in New Orleans where bus
mess men gather in the clubs, on
the floors of the exchanges, in the
restaurants, and in the stores.
This is the spirit that counts
most in the big affairs of life'
IS the way Norman Walker, one
IF the opinion molders in New Or
eans SUMS up the situation in its
relation to coming events.