Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-09
MERCHANT 7 MARINE
AND THE WOMAN
What They Can Do Outlined by
Edward N Hurley. Ship
ping Board Head.

Edward y. Hurley. chairman OF the
L. : shipping Board in speaking OF
women and the merchant marine said
''What can women do for the American
merchant marine?
What can the American merchant
marine do for women?
More and more the women OF the
United States create the influence which
we call public opinion. and which
shapes and guides the policies OF the
nation American women supported
peace until they saw that war was
necessary in defense of humanity Then
they threw themselves into war whole
heartedlv When peace returns they
will throw themselves into the intricate
problems of reconstruction. Women want
to know. always. before they act In
thousands of study clubs and similar
organizations they arc constantly seek
ing to learn facts about public questions.
When they know, hen they act. and
generally ON the right side.
"1hc American merchant marine Will
be one of the biggest factors in recon
struction War has led us TO think IN
world terms After the war We must
serve the world with our ships. help
other nations develop by purchasing
their products. and pay for their products
with our goods We are building
merchant fleet Of about 100000 600 tons
of shipping Ships alone will not make
an American merchant marine. There
must bc public support and wise laws
based on popular understanding. The
reason we have not had ships since the
Civil War, and then only ten per cent OF
cur world trade was carried IN Amerlc m
ships, is that We have not been ship
minded Public opinion did not think
ships Now we must think ships. and
ships. and then we will have them The
connection is absolutely clear--in SO far
as women help make American public
opinion they can help establish and
maintain the American merchant marine.
hat will American merchant >mpS
do for women
Women are becoming more indCpend-
ent economically. tnything that affects
American living standards and national
prosperity Is important 70 them rs bread
winners and home managers Amcrl-
can earning power and comfort are based
largely upon transportation. We All
know what transportation docs for Us
daily in the form Of railroads, Mcr-
chant SHIPS are simply transportation
IN another form--thC American merchant
marine will carry our railroads around
the globe on our own trade routes. M
crease our intake ot products from other
countries. increase our sales ot farm
products and factorN goods abroad
stabilize our business. and employment.
and wages Every american conan
who is her own bread-winncr viii benefit
directly, and every American woman
charged with maintaining home and
a family will benefit to even 4 greater
sy+cnf heeaI~p greater earning power
comfort and stability will tcntt those
She loves as we'll as herself
American women can begin prcpar
ing nov to intelllgcntly support tho
American merchant marine. They can
study our maritime past and learn Why
the American flag disappeared from the
ocean for two generations. They
can study the new American sMppWld-
inC industry created hy war. and learn
hoy. war is giving " SHIPS once more
They can study other nations, and world
fraGc. and languages. They can assist
grcatl, In the task by learning the facts
themselves and by lmpartng them to
cfhcrs Thanks to tile intelligence and
,neI.-lni.ie.e tillcSS of American women
the, has, already organized themselves
L. sfudv uEaIIc QuC>ti0uS. disseminate
information and acf thereon II fhc
Wo.aeIi oi tho nation interest themselves
III ships n They DO in other III, lr affairs
The American flag viii ncEtf again dis
appear from the werig trade rut.i 6
The American merchant marine Will
he an Important center around 10 Wcrh
our the problems ol peace and recon
>trnctIou And as women work fer tho
American merchant marine new. 81 Il
viii later work Tor them