Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-08-07
SHIPS, THE GREAT
NEED OF COUNTRY
Need Of an American Mer.
chant Marine Is the Ques-
ton Of the Hour
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKING
European War and Scarcity
81 Ships Will Arouse Ameri-
can People to Action

The United States finds itself with
out a merchant marine at a time,
as with the Texan without his re-
volver, when it needs one power
fully bad" We have been too long
shiftless and easy going in matter
of big and vital Importance. Pro-
phetic voices, lifted warningly in ev-
cry session of congress for half
century, inveighing against the per-
il of trusting our overseas commerce
to foreign ships, have had scant
hearing. Our navigation laws, though
framed ostensibly to foster and build
up a merchant navy, have had the
converse effect and have destroyed
all but the last vestige of the mer-
chant marine we once possessed.
A lamentable combination of ad,
verse influences has done the evil
In a laudable but ill-advised effort
to build up American shipyards We
have refused to admit to American
registry and the American flag YES
sells built in foreign shipyards. With
what result? That the foreign yards
went on building more ships than
ever, to fly foreign flags and carry
the commerce for which we had no
ships ourselves.
A Horse That Could Not Be Led to
Water.
In laudable effort to force Ameri-
can ship owners to employ Ameri-
can sailors and pay them relatively
high wages we have totally failed to
accomplish the purpose. We have
discovered that here was horse
that could neither be led to water
nor be made to drink. We have
found that worldwide conditions can
not be governed by the fiat of one
country. We could pass laws impos.
ing impossible conditions. Ameri.
can capital and enterprise preferred
to keep off the seas and leave that
business to the ships of countries
that did not impose impossible con-
ditions.
We have enacted navigation laws
so peculiarly constructed that they
imposed handicapping port and tow
age charges on American ships in
the overseas trade.
Europe's appalling war will make
a deeper impression on the Ameri-
can mind in 20 days than has been
made by all the speeches and all the
articles written in plea of merchant
marine in half century. The Unit
ed States has gone on trusting to for
eign ships when it knew all the while
that if Europe broke out in great
war those ships would be taken out
of the merchant carrying trade and
employed as auXiliaries to European
navies.
Fortunately for us Europes neces-
stiles to buy will be greater than our
necessities to sell. If the war shall
continue for 80 days the belligerent
nations will have to devise means to
import foodstuffs from the United
States, Canada and South America.
Their armies must be fed, and that
in the face of diminished European
production that must result from
their calling their reserves to the
colors and away from the harvest in
the ripened fields.
Congress and the President Show a
Good Purpose.
Meanwhile there is encouragement
in the fact that congress is in ses-
sion, and a purpose is shown by it
and the administration to deal prompt
ly and without partisan spirit with
the great problems of the hour. Con-
gestion of exports is reported at our
ports, but American enterprise and
craftsmanship, aided by European
necessities, will find a way to over
come it. Wheat, corn, cotton, can
ned salmon, lumber, dried fruits and
metals are not perishable products.
They will keep, II necessary, until
American enterprise and labor, work
ing night and day, can build ships to
move them to markets across the