The sun., 1918-10-21
NEW FLEET CALLS
FOR MORE CONSULS
Hurley Emphasizes Prepare.
ton Now for World Trade
After the War.
SHIPS FOR EVERY PORT
Urges Changes in Laws to Pro-
vide Better Paid Men and
Greater Staff.
SHIPS FOR EVERY PORT

WAbhlHGTONs oCN. sV--N illlll liza
years tho United States will have 4,
operation 25,ooo.ooo tons of merchant
shipping--the greatest feet in the WORD
and yet unless n plan and It's CO...
struction are quickly put through the.
will be no consular service at all ad,.
auate to handle this shipping and faciI.
tate trading. We will have the greate4,
merchant fleet in the world and Tie
poorest consular organization In the
world.
This problem, one of the big problems
TO be solved Immediately after the con.
ing OF peace. already is engaging tho at.
tentIon OF Edward n. Hurley, chairman
of the United States Shipping Board NJ.
Hurley urged to-day that steps be taken
at once to provide facilities for handing
the tremendous tonnage which Will he
afioat under the American flag when tie
war is over. Mr.. Hurley has made
study OF this subject and in an late
view to-day he laid the facts before the
American people. In the first place 10
told a story. An American Consul sery.
ing recently in a Spanish port was ap.
preached by one Of his agents from an.
other port. who asked the Consul If he
had ever cleared ship flying the Amer.
can flag.
mo" said the Consul. land II a sh5
had be be cleared l wouldn't know how
to do it."
No American Ship in Nine ears.
At Queenstown, Ireland, one Of lie
greatest ports of call in the woriG. 10
vessel flying the American flag had
touched in nine years previous to 1915.
at which time war demands and shipping
shortage revived American shipping.
This was true of many other great por,S
But all that is changed and will be
changed more completely, for less thaa
two years will see under the Stars and
Stripes a feet whose units will be Sc
in every port of the world. But who, Nj
Hurley points out, would handle tbs
fleet? The consular organization Is ".
terly inadequate. There are not enou.
Consuls and agents. They are not prop
erly paid. Some have broken down anil
died under the strain of overwork in.
posed upon them by war conditions. Air
Hurley continued:
I'VE need more Consuls and larger
consular stats We need them to-day 70
carry on the increased burden OF WORK
II we do not provide them to-day anc
prepare for the great growth In cur
merchant marine and trade after tie
war, I fear that we shall suffer So
rious breakdown. The Department Of:
state has work for fully fifty additional
men right now, and IL Congress an
| thorized such an extension of service
would find the men and send then
abroad Immediately. Unless Congress
meets this war emergency both the De
partment of state and the United State.
Shipping Board face the danger Of puH-
| lie criticism for inadequate service whe'
peace comes. These departments really
will be blameless, but criticism VIII tal.
upon them nevertheless.
Many Regulations Are Obsolete.
There are nearly 100 pages In tt
United States consular regulations des
| ing with shipping matters-the clearfE
| of ships flying the American flag, Ire
protection OF American seamen and CIV
ers, the settling of disputes and the Ike
old treaties. Many of them are o5so-
iete. There are differences between
| treaties with various countries. va'
| Consuls often lack authority to handle
matters involving the interests o. o2'
sailors and ship owners. These regu,l
tions are complicated chiefly because w'
have had little commerce in American
ships. Many of them were excellent y
| the days OF our sailing ships, when they
! were established. But before we can o.
crate a modern merchant marine We
must revise. standardize and simniH'
| this whole mass of regulations and @T ;
them UP to the efficiency Of other r.
tons practice.
| Foreign trade in American suiqs
mean better service to our clstome'
abroad than we ever have rendered e!
the past 1t must be the American Ia
ufacturer's aim to take care Of his cg
toners In Latin America as well as .
does of customers at home. We can
get the trade and hold it unless we s!''
| American service. 4 very large part O.
this service will depend upon Unite
States Consuls. They will have 10 lar
die a great increase In hus'~eS~ "or
nected with American shipments a7'
| American ships. They will be "a'r
upon also by our manufacturer far
| formation concerning other Countries.
1.-THE time TO provide for this str''
is now, while we are building tho ..i'
We must have more men and they shou.
be adequately paid Consular service
calls for a man with college cot a.i'
plus business experience, plus facility =
dealing with people, plus acquainted"
with one or more foreign language r-'
technical knowledge of consular .-.,''
Men Are Poorly Paid
I'VE have been asking the man q. q
caltbre to pass n stiff cXaminat'na ..
fore entering the service and then sem
ing him down to countries Ike Era''
where living Is more costly than IN N,'
York, and expecting him TO mai1tAh
family and a good position ana the le
tional dignity on a small salarg. N
are paying ehipbuilders better w."
than some OF our consular cwHNr.
nowadays. and ! consider ~ orc o' .
finest evidences of patriotism tnf'
Consuls have stuck to their In-.-
died in harness during these wa gym.
when by merely resignng and f. r'
private positions they could have
tanned salaries several times as .af--
those Uncle sam pays. I certa'r.N
that this real emergency Will 100 l"
clear to Congress and action taken ''
I'VE might look to Grca. Britain .'. "
example of straight thinking aud 90
prise in this matter For despite w TO-
fuor years struggle for her nat.'.H' ..
the right little. tight little island h. '
her Industries alive, given the t'-' 70
sible service 10 her customer"
the world, helped us move our 4"
France and feed them. and a'ra-"' .
, orderly scheme of reCo0S'ru"''"'
the war. both AT home and abr
consular service has been c-iI'
will play n large part IL reT8.E'.
. waste of war when peace comes.
Consuls make British shipping
Is, to a great extent and | trust '.,
will take steps TO back Cur E".lr
more consular experts