Evening star., 1914-12-30
US. SHIP PURCHASE
ISSTRONGLY URGED
Senator Fletcher Files Report
on Measure for Commit
tee Majority.
POINTS OUT THE DANGER
OF PRESENT CONDITIONS
This Country Should Be Free of For
eign Interests and Risks,
It Is Declared.

| Urging in the strongest possible
terms the passage of the government
ship purchase bill, in order that the
| United States may control it's com
merce and free itself from the influ-
| ence of foreign interests and risks.
Senator Fletcher, for the majority OF
the committee on commerce, filed a re-
port on the pending measure in the
| Senate today.
| In the report was incorporated let
ter from Secretary of Commerce Red
field. in which the Secretary analyZes
the shipping situation, and also advo-
Gates speedy enactment into law of the
bill which will give the government
authority to organize an ocean trans
portation corporation.
Views Of Secretary.
I'VE cannot wait long the process OF
evolution, the patient untangling of
complicating views of rival interests
, which interests in the aggregate are
infinitely less than the Importance OF
the subject to the free flow of Ameri-
can commerce." said Secretary Redtietd
in his letter. 1--WE have paid since
September ! our whole floating in
debtedness abroad in goods. and it
looks as if the month of December
alone, even with cotton moving slowly.
would show a favorable balance on mer-
chandise transactions of s100,000,000."
In the committee report, after de-
scribing the hazards and difficulties OF
transportation of American commerce
since the war, it is declared:
I'VE have been content hitherto to
subserve the interests of European stock
holders, and to minor extent of Amer
lean stockholders in ships under foreign
flags: but the shock of war has disclosed
the fact that this arrangement. while
seeming to work well in ordinary times,
has in it elements OF weakness.
Subject to Others Interests.
the entire country certain facts which
alter. Our great and growing COM
merce, aggregating over $4,250, 900. 900
yearly, of which our exports form much
the greater part. depends for trans
portatfon on ocean marine of nations
which are our competitors in the mar
kets to which We sell.
by reason of this control by others
of our needed transportation facilities
interests and to their risks. If exigen-
cies of war call for destruction by the
enemy of one of the powers whose
ships we use. that destruction takes
American cargoes go to the bottom"
The report explains in detal the
enormous increase in ocean freight
charges imposed since the war, men
tioning particularly the fact that the
cotton rate from Galveston to Bremen
has been multiplied ten times over the
rate of year ago. and says: "As this
report is written, shipowners, chiefly
foreigners, are reaping a rich harvest
of profits at the cost of American pro-
ducers."
The danger to absolute stoppage of
American commerce is also pointed out
in the report.
The most important element to be con-
sidered in the opinion of the members of
the committee joining in the report is
1.-The control by us and in the interests of
America as whole. Of our ocean trans
portation." 1t is recommended that con-
troll also should exist as to ocean routes
and the character of transportation to be
furnished.