The Washington herald., 1915-08-05
M 'AD0O UTTERS
new ship PLEA
Secretary Says Spend Sixty
Million Dollars for Gov
eminent Steamers.
NEED VESSELS FOR NAVY
Merchantmen In Peace Would Be
Vitally Important As Fleet
Auxiliaries In War.

| A plea for enactment of legisla-
| ton for government-owned steamships
was embodied in a letter from Sec
retary of the Treasury McAdoo, read
| last night at a banquet of the Chamber
| of Commerce of Greensboro, n. c., in
that city. The letter indicated that Nc
Adoo will push the administration ship
bill with all his might at the coming ses-
sion of Congress.
In his letter the Secretary declared that
the government would be justified in
spending from s50,000O00 to s6O00O,0O0 for
vessels that could be used in time Of
peace for commercial purposes and in
time of war as naval auXiliaries.
Text of Letter.
is it not the intelligent and rational
thing for the government OF the United
States to provide for the people of this
country the steamship facilities that are
SO imperatively demanded in the interests
of our trade and commerce, when private
capital refuses to do so?" read the letter.
rs not this question especially vital to
the South? Are we going to be SO unin-
telligent and SO unenterprising as to let
our great opportunity escape?
AT the recent Pan-American financial
Iy adopted by all of the foreign delegates
present and by all of the representative
business men and bankers of the United
States who were in attendance, declaring
that improved ocean transportation facili-
ties between the leading ports of the
United States and Central and South
America is vital to the extension Of our
trade and commerce.
Not only are ships under the Amer
INl o. .,,&~
Central and South America. but they |
are imperatively demanded for the pro-
lection of our commerce with the ma
tionS Of Europe. l firmly believe that, |
if We had an ample supply of American |
ships to carry our cotton to Europe. at |
the rates of freight which prevailed prior |
to the European war. it would mean an |
increase of one to two cents per pound |
over what it will be possible to get for
raw cotton under present conditions.
Before the European war. it used to
cost Sis to $3.50 per bale to transport
cotton to the leading European ports.
Now it costs from S. to S15 per bale to
cotton between the same ports
The present ocean freight rates mean a
charge of from l to 8 per cent per pound
for carrying cotton to Europe This
Is enormous tax and. of course, 1t ad-
versely affects the price which the farmer
gets for his cotton. because the higher
the cost of transporting any commodity
to market, the lower the price realized
oy the producer.
Need own ships.
We must protect American rights and
American interests with frmness, with
usice with courage. and with enter
rise. We cannot do this unless we have
ur own ships. We cannot longer be de- |
'endent upon foreign flags 1t is not safe
O do so. We need American ships. not
My for the expansion of our commerce. |
ut we imperatively require them as aux
iaries for our navy. Our navy is today
orely handicapped because there are not
nough American ships of suitable ton
age and character to form an effective
avail auxiliary in time of war mod
m navy without adequate and suitable {
avail auxiliaries is rendered helpless for =,
fensive operations at any considerable :
istance from its home base. .,
We would be justified today in spend
1g fifty to sixty million dollars for the .
reation of an adequate fleet of naval
sed in time of peace for the training and =
ducation of the American seamen. upon 1
hose courage and valor and knowledge I
e should have to depend in the event of
ar, while in time of peace they could be
sed in the fruitful pursuit of trade with
aduring benefit to the commerce. the IN
ustry. and the prosperity of our country
1t is simply fatuous to hope that pri- ,
ate capital will provide these ships. Pri-
ate capital will not provide them. even "
the navigation laws. about which there a
so much irresponsible talk. should be p
hanged as private capital demands" 6