Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-11
COMPETITION TO HELP
FOREIGNERS

TT ANYTHING has been proved by this
l. war II is that a great nation cannot
afford TO be dependent on foreign bot
toms for carrying fits ocean trade. Thou.
sands of tons OF German shipping are tied
up in American ports because the vessels
cannot safely go TO sea. Thousands Of
tons of British and French shipping have
been removed from the transatlantic
trade because the vessels are needed for
war purposes on the other side. The re.
sult is that freight rates are so high that
shlpowners have received for n single
voyage the full value of their vessels.
Our foreign trade has had to bear this
great burden because we have neglected
for years TO take the proper steps TO build
up an adequate merchant marine under
the American flag.
The Democracy is boasting that II has
passed a shipping bill that will restore tho
merchant marine. There is no disposi-
ton to condemn II for its creation of a
shipping board. That body may be able
to discover what is best to be done in the
future. But when this has been said
there remains nothing else that can be
urged in defense of the measure.
In its essentials II is an assault upon
the principle of protection for American
industry. Mr.. Hughes made this plain in
his admirable speech at Bath. Me-, on
Saturday. He was talking in a district
where the people had been made pros.
porous by the shipbuilding industry,
where the century-old policy Of restricting
the coastwise trade to American-built
vessels had built up shipyards as II has
built them along the Delaware. He
called attention to the fact, which the
EVENING LEDGER was the first to point
out, that the shipping law authorizes the
shipping board to buy foreign ships and
| TO arrange for their use in the coastwise
trade in competition with American-built
vessels. He might have said that the law
virtually directs the board to buy foreign
built ships IL 1t can get them more
cheaply than ships built at home
The bulk of our foreign commerce is
carried on through foreign shipowners,
who use foreign-built ships. The un-
doubted purpose of the law is to admit
to our domestic coastwise trade foreign
built ships on the same terms as ships
built by American workmen. 1t is part
Of the policy of the Administration to put
every American industry into active cut
throat competition with industries abroad.
The war has given TO our shipbuilders
the same kind of protection that other
manufacturers have enjoyed, and their
yards are swamped with orders. We are
building merchant ships for Europe be-
cause tke European yards are rushed
with naval orders. But when the war
| ends the European yards will be free TO
resume the building Of merchant ships.
Their efficiency has been increased by the
discipline OF necessity, and they will be
able to underbid us on ships as they VIII
| be able 10 undersell us in the ordinary
commercial markets because Of the lower
wages which they pay.
| Mr.. Hughes further pointed out that the
| law has not even the merit of meeting a
temporary emergency, for 1t provides no
way for relieving the existing shortage
of ships, although its friends have de-
| Tended 1t as the one way TO free Amerl-
can shippers from their present depend
ence on foreign shipowners.