The farmer and mechanic., 1915-10-19
ADMINISTRATION WILL RESUME
FIGHT FOR SHIP PURCHASE RuJ
This Interpretation Given to Secretary McAdoos Speech
wednesday to Business Men and Commercial Bodies
in indianapolis

100000 for them. There is no officer
OF the navy who knows about these
purchases who won't admit that most |
" these vessels were junk. But we
hao TO take anything we could get |
ana pay any price the ship owner or |
proker asked, in order to send our |
ileet just a little way from home
10 Cupa. This is the penalty we paid
Tor our failure to create real naval
auxlllary. Unhappily we have learn
ed nothing from that painful lesson
ano are IN worse condition today than
we were in 1898, SO far as merchant
marine naval auXiliaries are concern
ed, because our navy is much larger
and its requirements more exacting.
In addition to the $1S,OOO,000 spent
Dy the navy, the War Department
spent millions for vessels to transport
troops. If we build a real and eff
clent naval auxiliary, we shall have
the right kind of vessels to supply the
army with transports when it needs
them.
We have not today under the Amer
lean flag sufficient vessels 70 give our
navy, III case of war. the support and
assistance which is Indispensable to
its efficiency. I do not ask you to
take my word for this statement l
! will give you the testimony Of the
l IL.
June last l addressed the following in
quiry to the Navy Department.:
| Considering our navy as it is
today, and having reference to
it's maximum usefulness and eff
| cheney in time Of war, what num-
| Der of merchant vessels and of
| what tonnage would be re-
Quired?'
Admiral Benson, who was at the
time Acting Secretary of the Navy in
the absence of Secretary Daniels, re-
piled as follows:
There would be required 400 mer-
chant vessels for auxiliaries with a to-
tai of 1,172,000 gross tonnage. In
addition to the above, should our own
coast be invested, or even occasionally
visited, there would be required a
large number of small vessels fitted fo1
mine-sw eeping, say at least "a Of such
vessels, of about $50 gross tons each
There is no doubt of our ability
said Mr.. McAdoo, ito supply from ou1
coastwise vessels the 324 small vessel:
for mine sweeping, but we are not Sc
fortunately situated with respect t(
the 400 merchant vessels for auxil
; iaries. l am informed by the Nav.
> Department that we could draw from
our present merchant marine approx
; imately 100000 gross tonnage of yes
sells that could be converted into nava
au1liaries. This leaves us with de
7 fciency of about 100000 gross ton
mage to meet the needs of our nav.
as it stands today and without al
1 lowing for growth
Two Classes of Ships.
81 I'VE are paying to foreign steamship
E lines more than $500, 900, 900 per year
when by having our own ships w
could pay them for this service, bull,
a lup a merchant marine which will
nf "a
i and serve our country in time of wal
: A really useful naval auxiliar
q should consist of fast passenger an
n cargo ships, as well as ordinary car
r go ships. The combined passenge
), and cargo ships would be suitable fo
y operation on specific routes. w
= should not, however, establish regu
t, lar steamship lines where sufficien
=, and satisfactory service has been es
l. tablished by American companies OF
: Grating ships under American regis
a try. The ordinary cargo ships shoul
e be used in any and all parts of tn
= world.
sc ITO bring about these results
IF shipping board should be create,
y? consisting OF the Secretary of tn
d Navy and the Secretary of Commert
20 as members ex-officiO and three men
i bers to be selected by the Presidel
t. and confirmed by the Senate. Cor
D. -tgress should put into the hands
le this board a fund Of s5O,00O,O00
s. create a naval auxiliary Of suitab
lie merchant ships of from 100000
f. 100000 gross tons. This board shou
a. have authority to establish as quicl
ly as possible steamship lines to II
east and west coasts of South Amer
IN and to the Orient.
el THE Shipping Board should ha'
lis authority to organize a corporation,
e. corporations, and to subscribe to Il
We capital stock thereof in whole or
I'd part, as the board may determine. II
ur board should have the authority to vo
lis the stock belonging to the Unit
ed States for the election of director
in These directors will, in turn, choo
. the officers and employees Of the CO
r poration. By this means they w
he be removed from political influence
nd Just as the Panama Railroad Cor