Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-15
GREAT POSSIBILITIES
SEEN IN M'ADOO VISIT
TO SISTER REPUBLICS
Treasury Secretary's Plan for
Merchant Marine Aiding
Navy in Time of War
Solves Big Problems
LATIN-AMERICA PLEASED
spcoiat Correspondence Evenino Ledger

Special Correspondence Evening Ledger
WASHINGTON, April 14.-Secretary
McAdoo has gone on a great mission to
South America. There Is no politics in it,
except as good business is good politics.
It has been called dollar diplomacy" but
there is a great deal more in it than mere
dollars and cents; there is, in fact, the
peace of the world
In the relations of the United States
10 the other American republics our poli-
tics has been without a trace of sinister
motive or design, craving neither sover-
eighty nor territory"
That was not said by McAdoo but by
Phiander Knox, Secretary of State under
Mr. Taft, at a banquet in Panama City
four years ago. Elhu Root said much
the same thing when he made his tour OF
the American republics in the Admlnistra-
tion of Mr. Roosevelt. so that in the mar
row, partisan sense there Is absolutely no
politics in the present mission of Secre-
tary McAdoo.
When he and his party reached Monte
video they were received with open arms
by the President of Uruguay, who gave
a grand banquet and bail, and It was at
the banquet that the Minister of Finance
of that country made an address on the
establishment Of stronger and closer trade
relations among the American republics
and particularly the great need of trans
portaton facilities between the United
THE GREATEST PROBLEM.
To-day" said he. "only one great ques-
tIon remains to be solved, that of naviga-
tion--the great problem of transportation
which is the fullest of difficulties. The
commerce between the countries of our
continent Is carried under European flags
in greater part. War has removed these
vessels from our shores and there are no
American vessels % replace them. This
is the greatest question at the moment
and the most important to our future,
but we may expect It to be solved, because
Mr.. McAdoo has n great plan. Patriotic
legislators of the United States will not
delay in effectng this great work he has
conceived in creating a merchant marine
of 100000 tons and putting it at the serv-
ice of America"
But will they? They have no time to
lose
The United States merchant marine en-
gagged in foreign service consisted last
year of only 1107 steam vessels, 5S1
sailing vessels and 1106 barges-a total
tonnage of only t,S71,543 tons Last year
only 751 steam vessels and 81 sailing
vessels were built in the United States
1t has been admitted by such men as
Senator Gallnger, of New Hampshire
and Senator Weeks, of Massachusetts
that private capital will not supply the
tonnage required for the development of
the trade between the United States and
She Latin-Amerlcan countries, and Mr..
NcAdoo has proposed a plan which will
Enable the United States to capture the
%Aputh American trade for all time.
NOT BY SUBSIDIES.
1t is not to be done by subsidies, but
by the building and ownership of fleet
of modern Cargo-Carrying ships, to be
operated by corporations in time of peace
in the business of commerce and in time
of war as auXillaries of the navy. The
navy needs such auxliaries and would
be helpless without them, and the ordinary
business of commerce requires them II
manufacturers, merchants and producers
generally are to find n market in one of
the richest regions of the world.
The value of imports and exports of the
United States carried by American ships
last year was S571,931,0l2; the value of
imports and exports of the United States
carried by foreign ships was S3,42O.G39,-
563. These figures afford their own COM
mentary 1t does not make the least diff
ference where the credit goes The Nc
Adoo plan is the only plan that has been
suggested which would give the United
States what IL needs Tor the development
of it's trade and commerce with the coun-
tries of Latin-America.
But the present mission of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury is not confined wholly
to the promotion of the shipping interests
of the United States Banking facilities
must also be provided, a necessity which
President Vanderlip, of the New York
City Bank has been quick to appreciate:
steps must be taken to stabilize interna-
tional exchange, provision made Tor the
adjustment of commercial disputes by ar
bitratioh, for the extension of credits, for
the financing of enterprises public and
private; for uniformity in customs regu-