The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-11-02
SHIPS AFTER rHE WAR.

There * fooa for thought In the
saying: m a man cheats me oncc.
he deserves to be punished. u he
cheats me twice, I deserve to he pun
ishrd.'
The great war found us with a
merchant marine utteri, inslginiflcart
In comparison with the sine. wealth.
snd population OF our country. Froil
fifty To a hundred years aga Ameri-
can ships sailed the seven seas. ca--
ryinR the American flag and AmerI-
can trade 10 all paris OF the world.
Our Clvil War. with the raids ~ the
Alabama and other priyRteer~. drove
aailing vessels 10 the protection
% FOREIGN fiags The transition ron
sail to steam vas then In process and
Amertca never regained the carrying
trade that was lost In 1864. when So
ships in one year were transferred to
the British flag.
Many efforts have been made tn
awaken the country 10 the Importance
Of having a great merchant fleet un-
der u own flag, Thousands ~ edi-
torlais have been written and long
debates on the subject have taken
place. hut little progress was made
beyond the passage OF legislation that
alra~g4 a.. A..
country TO American bottoms. The
sodth and west were generally OPP
posed 10 ship subsidies. that have
neen employed with ereat success BY
other countries tosimcreassi their ship
ping. notably hy England. Germany
and Japan. ana poYitical economists
Informed us that " was quite as wen
that our cargoes were carried on
foreign Steamers. for h showed that
ON capital Was better employed .:
home.
The present war cPeaeA the eyer
81 all intelligent men to the danger
81 having practically all Of our for
eign commerce carried in vessels over
which We had no control. and the
president favored The purchase and
operation by the government OF a
large fleet Of merchant steamers.
Il IL worthy Of note that the ac-
iion % congress that had nearly COM
Pleted the driving Of all American
steamers from t-rans-oceanic trade
was the passage shortly before the
war o. the Ia Toilette bri, making g.
practically impossible 10 operate a
steamer under the American flag. In
view 81 later history. IL might not he
improper to ask :or the benefit ~
what nation the Ia Toilette bin WIS
intended by its sponsor.
After our entrance into the war.
government operation 81 the snlzed
German liners was mauifestlv 'he
most practicable esX To make them
quickly available for war purposes.
while the building Of d fleet ~ mi.'-
chantmen and is operation by the
government Was a. obviously "a wise
war measure.
An English 1tatesman aid that
CONSISTENCY is a virtue 81 .mail mind.
and IL - refreshing Co see how the
prerident who kept "a out q war
has spared no effort To- win the war
after We embarked IN A. Let us hope
that the brond-mindee spirit hat ~"
has shown in wal Will cause him o.
see the wisdom Of establishing our
mercantile fleets ir effective strength
in time - peace
when the war h. over We don't want
a political merchant marine. %extiay'
aeanily operated with one day Of y
three FOR al sailors. We shall wani
the best ships in me world aff"td"'
reasonable %pro,eriion by the govern
ment. ana efficiently operated hy ni"i
who have no pun hut the ability q
pun an oar or a rope Ia time ot WI
prepare for peace
Germany. ns well as other nations
- planning 20 make a tremendous ct
fort 10 take a commanding r"sitlo.
In the % the yorid and
We are to have a biz merchant flee
n~nderprlvate management after m
war the time 10 prepare for IL b no"