The Washington herald., 1915-01-19
The Unwise Shipping Bill.


opposition throughout the country, the admins
tration is apparently bent upon forcing its ship
ping bill through Congress at the present ses-
sion; and we are sorry to say that it seems as II
the sole for this is the fact that it is the
standing policy of the administration never to
abandon a project that it has once started upon
Perhaps this is not the cause, but it looks that
way What other basis there is for the persist
encc that has been displayed in the matter we
cannot imagine.
There is no one who does not realize that the
situation in which our mercantile marine stands
at present is in the nature of an absolutely un-
lforeseen exigency A temporary difficulty has
arisen that is, of course, highly deplora0le; but
exigencies OF all sorts constantly arise IN the ex
perience of both men and nations. Some OF these
ran never be guarded against. Countries as well
as individuals sometimes have to suffer plaques
disasters and caamities for which no preparation
can be made, and which it is the lot OF mankind
to suffer The greatest of all dangers is at such
times that in the effort to relieve themselves
neonle often make their situation worse than it
was before.
| AS has already been explained time and again
| in these columns the fundamental trouble with
our mercantile marine is that it has fallen INTO
state of decay nseparable from the fact that Tor
MANY wears past the shipping business OF the
country has not been paying venture IN COM
mercial sense Many other nations are able to
ooerate ships upon the high at much less
cost than the United States can; and these COM
pettors are able to do this, hrSt because rates
| for labor in the building and operation OF ships
are cheaper with them than with us, and, secondly
because their laws much more favorable TO
ship owners than are those OF the United States.
Our country is under primary and radical dlsad-
vantapes in the shipping business, and we can
never hope to make this business pay until these
disadvantages are obviated. This is the prelini-
nary but all important fact to which those who
are urging the new shipping bill seem to be en-
trely blind
Now. the present emergency of the country as
regards shipping consists in this, that in the
Ineighborhood of 100000 gross tons OF ocean
going ships in the world have either been with
drawn from service or have been captured or de-
stroved as a result of the European war. A mer-
chant marine shortage has been caused by this
lfact, and ocean freight charges are very high
everywhere AS statistical experts have frequently
pointed out since discussion of the subject began
the shipping shortage would have been almost as
severe as it is at present il the merchant marine
of the United States before the war had been OF
respectable dimensions.
But what remedy QOCS OuI SONC4 lLlIINlLI NtAN'
for this emergency so far as the interests OF the
United States are concerned2 1t is that the coun
trv shall embark on a scheme of government
ownership of ships. A SIoooo,ooo shipping cor
ooration is to be created in which the country
Through its agents at Washington, is to own the
controlling interest Advices unanimously tc
the effect that private capitalists will not con
tribute money to the scheme and that the gov
ernment will have to take the whole enterprise or
its own shoulders. Let us suppose, however tha
the new shipping bill passes and that the scheme
actuaIIv goes into operation Inasmuch as 1t cost:
about SGoo 900 more to build a Ioooo-ton ship II
the United States than it costs to build the sam'
ship in foreign countries it has been estimated tina
out of the proposed appropriation only about 800,
600 tons of new ships could be constructed in ou
country or only about 20 per cent OF the ships tina
Ibave already been withdrawn from service. Bu
l even these new ships could not be constructed
/ within less than a couple of years, by which tlm'
N. war will probably be over. The existing
: SHORTAGE in the worlds mercantile marine vii
then not only be at an end but there will be sucl
a vast release Of ocean tonnage in every quartz
that the shipping business will probably be IN
state Of depression no less extreme than the stat
of exaltation which now characterlzes IT. There i
every reasonable chance that the governmen
shipping venture would find itself bankrupt from
the very start.
1t is, however, proposed that pending the con
struction OF these ships the governmen
I, should buy ships wholesale from other countries
including Germany which has now good shar
of its mercantile marine interned in neutral port
But would the merchants OF other countries b.
willing to sell their ships to our people, except
Iexorbitant prices at a time when shipping tonnag
is so much in demand; and would the allies l
c Europc recognize the transfer of German ships t
our own flag, even assuming that the German
/ would be willing to sell their ships?
, We rejoice that this entire project IS rece1v
c ing sturdy opposition in Congress, although sue
opposition was inevitable. We rejoice further thu
c the opposition comes in large part from Demo
= Gratis themselves. The American people have no
a vet lost their common Further we belev
5 that not all the factors in this complex situatio
have been brought to President Wilson's mind
H.. C-l.,