Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-11-12
WOULD LIFT HANDICAP
FROM AMERICAN VESSELS
United States Shipping Board Will
Mako Effort to Revise Nayi.
cation Laws.
PRESENT PROGRAM OUTLINED
Covers Construction and Acquisition
OF 1890 Craft OF Total Dead
Weight Tonnage of Nearly 10000
900 Tons-Co.Operation Urged.
IBy Associated rrcss. ]

who want to SEQ tho American NOR
chant feet not only regain, but retain.
it's former high position among the
worlds shipping are urged by the Ma
tional Foreign Trade Council to CO.
operate with the United States Ship
ping Board in an effort TO revise the
navigation laws so as to lift the han
dicap from American vessels.
1.-THE removal Of all inequalities and
injusticcs from the American naviga-
ton system. enabling American ship
ping TO maintain itself upon an equit-
ably competitive basis with other ma
lions with duo regard to American
standards Of living and compensation.
is absolutely essential to the perman-
ency of the forthcoming rehabilitation
of tho American merchant marine" as
serts the Foreign Trade Council. in q
report and resolution II Will submit
to-day to the Shipping Board.
Tho council urges "all who are in
terested in insurinG the permanent
restoration OF the American aag to
tho recognized place 1t formerly held
in the carrying trade OF the world.
generously to cooperate with the
purpose Of securing the necessary re-
vision and amendment of the naviga-
tion laws in time to render effective
service I'm the operation OF the new
American fleet"
Accompanying the resolution is a
report prepared by the councils COM
mittee on merchant marine. and signed
by James a. Farrell. chairman of the
council and president of the United
States Steel Corporation, and T. a. s.
Franklin. president of the Interna-
tional Merchantilc Marine Company
Edward n. Hurley. chairman OF the
Shipping Board. Is a member of the
council.
The report shows that the program
OF tho Shipping Board covers the con-
struction and other acquisition Of 1900
vessels of total dead weight tonnage
of nearly 1900. 900 tons.
LESS THAN 90 PER CENT
IN BRITISH BOTTOMS
The committee points out that the
experience of Great Britain has proved
that less than SO per cent OF British
foreign trade Is carried in British bot
toms.
IF the carriage OF co per cent OF
American foreign trade in American
chips" says the committee. would
render the United States reasonably
ire" from the necessity of employing
foreign merchant marine for its car
Tying trade, the program or the Ship
ping Board and Emergency Fleet Cor
poration n present under execution
would accomplish the desired result
In 1915, continues the report 81
S'l.Jf3 tons of American shipping car
ricd one-seventh. 14.3 per cent of the
total foreign commerce OF the United
states On this basis a fleet of 49,
10o.s0l tons would have been required
for the transportation OF the entire
foreign commerce OF the country. But
on the basis of British experience an
American feet OF 100000 tons would
do the proportion of carrying OF Amer
lean foreign trade that naturally would
fall TO American ships. The present
American program. that is calculated
to produce an aggregate of nearly
100000 tons of shipping within two
years will furnish, on this basis OF cs-
timating. ample provision for the car
rage of the normal 90 per cent OF
American foreign commerce in Amer
lean bottoms, with liberal surplus
OF American shipping for participation
i'll the carrying trade OF the rest OF the
world"
The report calls attention to the fact
that six months after the proclamation
OF peace the emergency powers dele
gated to tho President cease. and that
five years after the end of the war
all operation Of merchant vessels by
the Emergency Fleet Corporation mus,
cease. Thereafter the Shipping Board
may sell, lease or charter" govern
ment vessels to private citizens and
ii must not undertake operation OF
these vessels through government
agencies until after Ii bona fde effort
TO secure their operation through pri-
vate enterprise has failed. The report
continues:
The question, when peace comes.
will be of operation rather than Of pro-
vision OF more ships. The shiphuildng
industry of the country, enormously
stimulated by war conditions. will face
curtailment rather than further expan-
sion. The huge development for con-
struction OF wooden ships. made pos
sible only by war and the ravages OF
the submarines. must be almost wholly
abandoned or reorganiEed for other SER
vices.
When the government comes to sell
or charter the vessels Of it's merchant
fleet to private organizations there will
be the opportunity to arrange confer
ences in the different trades. which will
establish rates in harmony with costs
Of operation and at levels which will
encourage the growth of American
trade with all markets. fair to both
shipper and ship owner; control tom
mage. insurng sufficient supply for
all requirements: and in general effect
MI ost,f1 ir Of 10 l;.xo to-, of
ditions that will make for the success
full Operation Of the rehabilitatcd
American merchant marine. At the
same time sufficient supervision OF for |
cign bottoms may be maintained
through control. of clearance and by
other means to prevent undue advant-
age to foreign ships with regard to
American commerce."
TAG DAY FRIDAY