Evening journal., 1915-02-10

patton Of the governments supposed
/ ability to purchase and use the
! foreign ships now lying in neutral
ports. and the large patronage which
would be controlled by the admins
tration through the Shipping Board.
arc the two considerations whicn 4
have had most weight in the formu-
lation and advocacy of the proposed
bill
"The first of these considerations is
set forth as follows by Secretary Nc
AGoo in his speech before the Com
nercial Club Of Chicago on the 9Th
ultimo
Some timid people have argued
that If the government is interested
as stockholder in shipping COM
pany and ship of such company
would be seized by belligorent AMI
brought into prize court. the sover-
eighty Of the government would be
involved. There is no ground what
cVcr for this view. If the govern
mcnt operated ships outright. just as
il operates the vessels of our navy.
an awkward situation of this charac-
ter might arise; but whore a nation
is merely a stockholder, or the sole
stockholdcr. i'm q private corporation
its sovereignty is not and can not be
directly involved If the ships Of such
corporation become the subjects Of
litigation i'm a prize court concerning
any issue which does not involve the
government itself The government
would stand in relation to such
corporation exactly as any individual
stockholder does to a corporation in
which he is interested. A suit against
the corporation does not necessarily
involve the shareholders
"As the senior Senator from New
York has cOnclusively shown, the
above contentious of the secretary Of
tho treasury are based upon wholly
erroneouse misconceptions of inter
national law. Although il is denied
that the state department has re-
Ceived as yet any communication on
the subject from Sir Edward Grey,
there can be little doubt but that a
statement from him will be forth
p coming in due course of time. If oar
, government should buy and attempt
b 10 utilize the German or Austrian
} slips, the United States would in
evitably be brought into direct colli-
t sion with Great Britain and other
p belligerent Powers.
= "The other consideration. in regard
10 which a discreet silence has been
observed up TO the present moment,
>, is that the regulations OF the classi-
fed civil service cannot be applied
TO the multitude OF employees of the
! proposed corporation. which is TO be
organized under the laws Of the Dis
trict of Columbia, and that the ap
pOntment of such employees will be
controlled and their salaries fixed by
. the Shipping Board in which two
Q members of the cabinet are to sit. No
e doubt this feature commends itself
s to some of the advocates of the bill
e and particularly TO a certain member
y Of the cabinet who, in recently pub
p lished letter, stated to his correspon-
5 dent that he had enough experience
{ in politics TO know how valuable
y workers are when a campaign is on
= and how difficult it is to find suitable
f rewards No deserving Democrat,
G il is apparent, need have any appre-
+ hension of his failure to pass a civil
r service examination, as political in
!, fluence will be the only requirement
r needed TO secure a coveted appoint.
y n,cnt at the hands OF the Democratic
c Shipping Board.
n I'm considering the details of tho
y pending bill. we are confronted. in
y fhe first place. by the highly socialis
3 tie feature OF the governments un-
r dertaking, either directly or indirect
i ~. to enter into the domain of pri
u Nate business. step which would b'
II followed by the entire destruction o.
e our privately-owned merchant mar
e iue, as it could not hope to compei'
II with the government which woult
e have no interest to pay on the cos
OF its investment and be in position
e. to disregard all considerations D
a business profit in the operation o
u its lines.
o Further the advocates of the pro
- posed bill lay particular stress upo,
e the high freight rates which now oh
tain and upon the deficiency of YES
l. sells i'm the ocean-carrying trade. II 4
IS TO be observed that the lack of ship
'e is not the only factor which has dc
q termined the advance in freigh
X rates. These have been seriously az
o fccted by the very high rates of in
ie surance on vessels and cargoes Incl
" dent TO the danger of their captur
J. as we'll as Of their destruction b,
Is Europe is concerned. that the def
m cheney in dockage room and the lacl
Is OF stevedores have involved excessiv
p delay in foreign. ports, which neces
le sarily puts the owners of vessels L
N greatly enhanced expense. II is en-
10 tirely true. however. that the numbe
he OF steamships engaged in interna
IN tional trade has been reduced by tn
T. absorption of many of them for wa
in purposes, by the destruction OF man
II others by the different belligerents
D. and. lastly, by the elimination fror
le tho carrying business of a great mum
n Der of German and Austrian mer
r chant vessels which are tied up 4
IS their home or in neutral ports {
III avoid capture. In view of the fac
I'd that all other steamships throughou
~ the world arc now actively engage
he IN the transportation of freight. il
r not easy TO see how the number G
ocean carriers can be increased i'm
o. mediately except by purchasing an
r. putting under our flag the Germ1
T. and Austrian ships just mentioneS