Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-29
Our President and Our Trade

all tho inanities constructed by the op-
ponents of the ship-purchasc bill-and
these curiosities of thought are very numer-
oust the most truly wonderful is that
SylloGism of their devisnG. which proceeds
about follows:
There are no steamships under tho Ameri-
flag carrying passengers and freight
regularly 10 important South American ports;
President Wilson says that unless private
enterprise enters this field. the government
should supply needed facilities of communi-
cation:
Therefore, the President has discouraged
individual initiative from doing something
that otherwise it would he certain 10 do.
@ Z. n.
To the ordinary. common or garden mind.
the conclusion OF this logical formula wears
all the aspects of the non sequitur. II would
seem To the average person that President
Wilson not only is not discouraging indivi-
dual initiative. but is doing everything he
reasonably to stir it out of most un-
becoming lethargy. What the President
said was this:
perfectly clear in my mind that
if private capital cannot enter soon upon
the venture of establishing these means
OF communication. the government must
undertake to do
Clearly, this carries the suggestion that il
private enterprise prove equal to the task.
the administration will he gratifed and de-
lighted. Its negative inference-which we
are confident the President would be willing
TO amplify by explicit agreements that if
steamship lines 10 South America are estab-
lshed privately, there will he no government
competition.
The truth is that just as soon as the op-
ponents OF ship purchase get away from gov
eminent ownership they begin 10 founder
There are valid reasons why the United
States should not undertake lightly or with
out obvious necessity the ownership and
operation Of additional public utilities. Pub
lie operation is VIGOROUSLY inefficient. as COM
pared with the best type OF private operation.
Moreover. as the Presidents critics allege,
the individual enterprise of our citizens
should be fostered and encouraged If il
were proposed to put the government in com
petition with existing American steamship
lines. or with any steamship lines reasonably
likely to come into existence in the near
future, there would be little popular approval.
OF course, that is not the situation. There
are no American lines with which to COM
pete nor. though the need has been great
for years and imperative for ten months is
there in existence a single plan, Of which the
public has any knowledge, to establish one
How utterly ridiculous it is. under circum-
stances such as these. to talk of .throttlinc
individual initiative" and 10 indulge in other
but equally meaningless verbal pyrotechnics.
FOR our own part, we consider the stand OF
the administration III this matter wise bcne-
fcent and supported by clear Understanding
OF the principles OF government. If private
enterprise will render service the people re-
Qulre. then let private enterprise do it, with
the governments sanction and godspced II
private enterprise. for reasons sufficient unto
itself prefers TO put its money TO other uses
let government step into the breach and give
the people this new and great opportunity to
extend their commerce and increase their
prosperity.