The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-08-21

I always want b know what yo1 cen
uemo1 Oay about our work because
youf viewpoint hOlDlJ ne % stand
your editorials ! would soon b SELF
centered and dug In"
This often leads me to wish that
you might see our work through my
eyes occasionally, especially in the
matter OF future possibilities. II oc.
CURED to me that ! might venture 10
write an editorial for you, and that
the reaction in your minds might be
o. decided public service.
We shipbuiders have all been
prominent in the news the past four
months, and editorial comment all
over the country has been most stim.
ulatins TO shipydrd spirit We shall
be building ships all through 1919 and
1920 We are buildlns so many ships
1000 OF them. twenty-five million
tons-that II Is high time 10 prepare
for the day not far on. when We snail
again have a real American merchant
marine.
Much OF our thought on the United
States Shipping board is now direc. "a
10 the operation OF sNips and the
arousing OF the American people 10
the siniacancn Of ships This does
not mean that we are nelecting ship
building, OF course. That Is being
carried on with even greater energy.
and will never be permitted 10 lag
The faster We build ships. however.
the more attention must be naid 10
operatin them. So. IN devoting atten.
ton TO our merchant marine. We are
simply working out broad over sound
policies.
You viii soon see our merchant
marine emerging in the news. Ocean
freight rates for our ships are 10 be
regulated on Interstate Commerce
Commission lines-this is one Of the
shipping Boards functions under the
law. When our foundation has been
worked out We shall make The facts
public. We are undertaken broad
studies for the purpose OF improving
our ports 10 get quick turu.around
with ships, and provide dry docks and
repair facilities. and coal and oil
bunkering stations on trade routes
There will be interesting news along
this line from time TO time. We are
charod by law with Investigations
into ship classification, marine in
surcnce and other important matters.
about which there will he interesting
things 10 say later. And as fast as
possible we shall put American ships
on new trade routes giving service
10 other nations which have suffered
from ship shortage.
Former neglect Of American ship
ping was due to Indifference and lack
Of information on the subject by the
average American. II we are going
TO keep the flag flying over the
worlds trade routes we must put
ships and the sea back into the daily
thoughts OF every American. as they
we're in the days OF the Yankee clip.
per ship. Our new merchant marine
IS to be vastly bigger. and the inter.
est must he correspondingly greater.
When "Old Glory" few over thu
Yankee clipper We were a seaboard
nation. with no great inland indus
trial Centers. and the West was a
wilderness. Today these new ships
carry oven greater possibilities for
inland states and industries than for
those on our coasts. Ships are as i'm.
pOrtant to the Kansas grain farmer,
The Iowa hog raiser. the Wisconsin
dairyman and the Arkansas apple
grower as 10 the Now England cot.
ton manufacturer or the Pacific coast
lumberman. They will not only carry
our goods to foreign consumers, but
will bring back raw materials for our
industries, and commodities for the
consumer We shall have not only
freight ships. but passenger liners. 10
bring customers from other countries
10 our markets and-even more i'm.
portmt. In my Opinion-cnrry alert
Americans sight-aeelng and trade-eV.
tending in other lands. The sea will
once more call American youth, for
We shall need thousands OF nayisa
tors and hundreds Of thousands OF
seamen.
think Il especially important TO
once more put the sea into the imagi
nation Of the American hoy. Our
literature Is rich in the sea adyen-
ture OF yesterday. Many an Ameri-
can boy would go 10 sea II he knew
that there are new opportunities. Our
new merchant marine affords those
opportunities.
Our navy has for generation been
thoroughly national institution,
drawing many Of its ogicers and sail