New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-30
Ship Monopoly Advocates Cannot
Make Their Arguments tlt.


The Democratic Senators had hard time'agree-
ing on the details of the government ship pur-
chase bill But they are having a still harder
time agreeing on arguments with which 10 meet
attacks on IT, IN the Senate the other day NJ SIM
mons announced in reply to Mr.. Roots warnings
that the government had no intention Of purchaS-
ing informed ships belonging TO any Of the powers
now at war. But if we are not to buy the ldle
German steamers now laid up IN our ports ana
Great Britain and France decline to sell us snipS
which might be used in trade with the IeuIohlc
allies. where are we 10 get vessels? Italy doesn
want 20 part with hers, and ocean carrying
charges are now so high that the owners OF other
neutral shipping would hardly be inclined TO part
with il except at cost which would put the
limited States at vast disadvantage IN setting
up government owned transportation industry
Yet right on the heels Of Mr.. Simmons's state
ment that the government would buy no lnterned
sbins fthe only ones whose owners would save
money bv selling) Mr.. Walsh treated the Senate
to an elaborate argument intended to prove that
Great Britain was bound by British precedents
were the Declaration Of London ignored) TO per-
NIT our taking over any available German liners
Al the most he said, the validity OF such pur-
chases would have to be tested in the BRITISH
prize courts. Then, if the decision there went
against US we could make diplomatic protest
and have the issue referred, under our arbitra-
ton treaty with Great Britain, to an arbitration
board.
II would take at least two or three years to
get 10 the end of that litigation. II the service
which government ownership is TO render Is all
emergency service-ss most Of the supporters OF
the scheme say that it s--the crisis in ocean
characterization would be over long before the
,alidi+v % orr purchases Of interned vessels had
been finally pissed upon.
The trouble with the advocates Of the admins
tration bill is that they cannot decide whether
they are dealing with an emergency or with
continuing situation. Secretary McAdoo has
worked himself into a state Of mind over the
enormous increase in ocean freight rates and says
that those rates are burden artfcially imposed
on the American producer with commodities to
export Yet the war has put up prices Of com
lnodities as well as freight rates on them. The
seller here is not paying the freight. The buyer
abroad, who has to have supplies and can't get
them except from the United States, has to pay
the cost Of delivering them. He has no choice
With wheat selling at 81 so a bushel here it is
absurd to say that the American farmer is being
pundered by the ocean freight carrier We're
conditions in the ocean trade more normal or were
Europe's supplies not cut short by the war, the
American exporter would have to take much less
for his commodities cotton excepted) than he is
getting now The emergency has created
sellers opportunity here in spite Of the fact that
it has also raised ocean freight rates.
A government ship monopoly, II established at
once. would have TO be established at excessive
cost Il might maintain itself by charging just
as high rates as the existing carriers do. In
that case the alleged freight charge burden on
the American farmer would not be lifted. And
after the emergency had passed the government
would be left with an extravagant investment on
its hands
The advocates Of the administration bill are
unwilling 70 say what they would do In that
event Would they sell out at 30 per cent loss
or try 70 maintain government shipping
monopoly on peace basis? Arguments for an
emergency service do not jibe with arguments
for permanent service. Yet the shipping bills
friends continue to mix them because they do not
really know which sort OF service the Fletcher
bill has in view.
President Wilson has also added & touch Of
IRONY 10 the Democratic situation by objecting to
the literacy test Of the immigration bill because
such discrimination was never favored in the
platforms Of the great parties. He demanded q
specific appeal TO the sentiment of the country
on that point But government ownership of
ocean freight lines was never dreamed Of by the
trainers Of either Democratic or Republican plat
forms. Applying Mr. Wilson's own test there is
no popular mandate for it. On the contrary it Is
his will alone which forced this half baked
project through the House and which now lines
Nd reluctant Senate majority behind it.
This Ripper Bill Means Reconstruction.