The Washington herald., 1914-12-19
The Presideat's Shipping Program.

In his message to Congress the President gives
prominent place to renewal of his former
recommendation that the government take upon
itself the establishment, or the re-establishment
of the shipping industry in the United States. The
President repeats, in substance what he has
formerly said on this subject but he seems to ap-
proach the matter from slightly different angle.
In opinion, moreover, his advocacy of the
proposition is arranged in a more plausible man
ner than it formerly was He addresses himself
to the country practically as follows:
Our shipping industry has run down because we
have allowed it to run down. Do not let US delude
ourselves in thinking that we have not been grossly
negectful of it Now, an occasion has arisen when
the need of active and energetic merchant
marine is felt with extreme urgency. By reason
of between rivals the markets of the
world invite the approach of our merchants carry
ing goods. But how we carry goods to these
markets unless we have ships to carry them in ?
Moreover, even if an acute emergency did not con-
front and the need of ships was permanent
one, how can we expect our merchants and ship
builders to establish a mercantile marine an
almost entirely new proposition at their own risk?
The project is one in which great deal of money
must be mperiled. Private capital will not under
take it. The government ought to inaugurate the
enterprise and carry it on, not with the idea Of
monopolizing the field, but of retiring from the
field when the enterprise has become sufficiently
profitable.
All this, as the President points out, is very
much like the suggestion that was made to Con-
gress at the time when the country between the
Mississippi River and the Pacific Coast was await
ing an opening up by railway lines. The Pres-
dents talk is in effect, like the talk of carly
protectonist when he was advocating the building
up of tariff to support and nourish Our infant
industries. From a philosophical point of view,
we welcome the Presidents utterance cordially
and we do so because for the first time the Presi-
dent to realize the truth that is the kernel
of this matter and this is that the trouble with
present shipping industry such it is, is that it
does not rest upon paying, commercial basis.
From this point it ought to be only step to
an appreciation of the secondary truth that the
reason why it does not rest upon a paying and
commercial basis is that laws not favor
able to it, and that the wages paid to seamen in
other countries are lower than those which are
paid in our own. Possibly in time the President
and our lawmakers may arrive at that more ad-
vanced state of knowledge where they will under
stand that attempt by the country to operate
ships in competition with the lower wages paid in
other nations, and with the more liberal shipping
laws prevailing there, can only be made successful
the United States. That is to say, shipping in
dustry will still be unsuccessful business prop
osition pure and simple, and will only be kept alive
by means of tax levied upon the whole country.
Does it not occur to sensible people that If it
is desirable for the United States to have ship
ping industry at all, the right way to go about
securing this will be to first amend or abolish the
laws that have been passed and which now, as
every one admits stand in the way of the building
up of mercantile marine? Many of these laws
were enacted to meet circumstances that have long
since passed away Many OF them have proven
hurtfu and destructive from the very start. After
this is done the country will have to grapple once
and for all with the problem Of foreign wage COM
petition in the shipping business. If English, Ger
man and Norwegian seamen and engineers be
found who will work for half much American
seamen and engineers will, our people must decide
whether it is for their general interest to try to
keep an American shipping business alive by main
force This is question which will probably take
a good deal OF time in the answering.
Another thing which common will sug
gest and will require should be done, will be to-
put stop to such proposed measures those
fathered by Senator La Toilette last year, which
bear the same relation to the shipping business
the full bills which have recently had such
a vogue, bear to the railway business. If Senator
La Follettes suggestion took the form of law, it
ness impossible. And for part we have
every confidence that common will in time
assert itself.