The Prescott daily news., 1915-01-18
v11J THE SHIP PURCHASE BILL
 QUICK
From Manufacturers Record)

bored for so many years Uo aWakel +bis country to the importance of a merchant marine and has warned the country. and the South especially, of the dangers from every point of view of dependng upon foreign shipping rather than build up our own shipping interests any proposition which in it's udqment wiuld bring about this much needed result. We are compelled, however. to dissent from the opinion expressed by President Wilson in fla vor of the proposition now before Con- press for the purchase by the National Government of foreign ships. The reasons against the plan are so over whelming that it is difficult to under stand how anyone familiar with the shipping interests of this and other countries could favor such a project, and especially at the present time.
 In the first place we believe that it would he fatal error for this Gov ernment to undertake to engage in the purchase or ownership of ships for commercial purposes. There are many very strong reasons against this, and so far as we can see not a single one in favor of it. Such a movement would embark this country upon pro- ject fraught with many dangers in our international relations, as well as in the economic development of our merchant marine, which cannot be built upon such a basis. Moreover, it would sound the death knell of our existing shipping interests, for who would invest money in ships to oper- ate in competition with Government owned ships?
 In the second place, it would be practically impossible at the present time to purchase any ships of impor- tance except the interned boats owned by German lines. Under no condi- tions whatever, in view of possible in- tenational complications and the un- wisdom of such an act, ought we for moment to consider as nation buy ing these German ships. We would justly bring down upon ourselves the condemnation of other countries and place this nation in an embarrassing attitude in all of its international re- lations.
 So great is the demand for ships by reason of the fact that a large part Of the worlds shipping has been turn cd to the arts of war rather than to the arts of peace, or interned in neu- tral ports, that freight rates are very nigh. Shipowners whose vessels are able to engage in commerce are at the present time making such extraordi- hariIy large profits that none of then would be so foolish as to sell ships of thls knd except at prices far beyond thelr value under ordinary conditions.
 The shipyards of Great Britain make business of building ships for the market without waiting for or uerS' A great many ships are now uhuer construction in these yards, bus there IS ample capital available in ureat Britain for the purchase of 'neSe ships and English shipping men cah readily take over every boat that .S worth buying, and be glad to get It m order to put it into commission at the earliest moment possible that "uVahtage may be taken of the ex- 'epuonally high rates of freight now prevailing. No shipbuilder would for " moment think of selling ship fer rie market except at high figure at me present time.
 ms country therefore, would be ,eiV practically without the ability to ouy ships except at exorbitant figures Tar beyond their intrinsic value under oruihary conditions, or else purchase cue 'interned ships, which are avail "o'e only because tn EnglisL navy mas swept the seas of ,rman com merce.
 p u conditions had been 'erscl md -ngilsh ships had been mterned in Our ports, the Manufacturers Record would De equally as opposed to their po'chase, on the ground that such ac- s'oh would be bordering so closely on international complications as to be most unwise.
 At the present time it bebooves the