The sun., 1916-08-16

The uncertainty Of the extent to
which the Government will proceed. the
effects Of It's competition. which seem
to have no Limitation in any direction in
foreign or domestic c~arrying--all OF
these meet md important questions will
remain In allegiance until the Govern
ment has shown its hand. ritiably small
as $780, 600. 900 Is In this undertaking, II
makes a formidable competitor. and the
party which votes nifty millions may vote
Ave hundred millions. II kept In power.
or course there Is a possibility that
seine corporation may be formed. IL one
~ not already formed. whose relations
20 the new Federal Shipping Board, when
that board Is appointed. will he closer
and more intimate than the relations OF
other corporations or firms or individ-
uals. and such a corporation. managed
by men astute In the buying and sell
ing aud the building and selling and
the clartering and leasing Of ships.
might he a very useful adjunct to tho
Federal Shipping Board. a semi-oHicial
company as 1t were. through which, the
people in the business IL alive. would
quickly find it to their advantage tn
operate II they had any occasion at all
10 do business with the Federal Shipping
Rnlf d TharA ~ stf,,tyAI ,,,
ties for ramlncations and connections.
more or less close. of this kind, and
favoritism may become a new 'pal' OF
the party in power.
Had 1t been safe to do so and had
the purchase of the ships OF beiligerent
nations been possible at reasonable
prices. there might have been sone JUS
~tifcation OF Government financial aid
In their requirement to meet urgent and
immediate needs. Eut such purchase
has been forbidden. wisely. ! think. in
order to make the bill even tolerab.c to
many members Of the .eluctant majority
Of this body. Moreover, the bill. as
amended. does not permit the purchase
# ships now engaged in our trade. And
OF the ships which may be required. none
may fall below "A standard OF IS per
cent. OF It's original efficiency. Thus cir
cumscribed and hedged about. the Fed
eral shipping Board is to go forth and
spend its $4,000. 900.
But this is the least OF It's weaknesses
cr evils. since the fifty millions ma soon
hC spent and soon he forgotten. the fifty
millions and the ships II buys AS we'll.
but the bill il ~ amended as t. admit
To- our coastwise carrying any foreign
built ship the Government may build.
buy. lease or charter. 1t may use its
fifty millions. possibly. to buy and sell.
and 10 buy and sell over and over again.
enough ships TO destroy the American
built ships which. since the foundation
Il our Government. have been permitted
TO do our coastwise carrying.
Until now. under "A law enacted in
1917. 10 ship could engage in our coast
wise carrying that was not built In the
| nited States. In order to engage in
our coastw!se carrying u laws have for
aInost a century required the building
Il the ships In the United States. and
even before that the discrimination by
law established against foreign ships
engaging in our coastwisc carrying
Vas 50 drastic as to keep them out OF
IL completely. Never have We allowed
foreign ships to do our coastwise carry
ing. and 1t is an American policy TO re-
jo!ce the American heart.
Have the provisions Of this very re-
inarkable bill been examined by Sena-