Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-08-20
An Optimistic Outlook.

In letter expressive of appreciation Of the press
TO the work Of the I. S. shipping board, Edward n.
Hurley the chairman. adds some significant facts
relative 10 the immensely Of the ship building pro-
gram We shall be-" states Mr. Harley, building
ships all through 1919 and 1920 We building so
many zhips-three thousand Of them, twenty-five
million tons-tbat 1t is high time to prepare for the
day. not Tar of, when We shall again have real
American merchant marine.
Much Of our thought on the United States ship
ping board Is now directed to the operation Of ships
and the aIousing Of the American people to the
significance Of ships This does not mean that
are negectng shipbuiIding, OF course. That is be-
ing carried On with even greater energy, and viii
never be permitted to lag. The faster build
ships, however the more attention must be paid
TO operating them So in devotng attention to our
merchant marine, we simply working out broad,
over sound policies
You will soon see our merchant marine emerg-
ing in the news Ocean freight rates for ships
are TO be regulated interstate commerce commits
sion lines-this is Of the shipping boards func-
lions under the law. When cur foundation has been
worked out We shall make the facts public We
are undertaking broad studies for the purpose of
improving our ports to get quick turn-around with
ships and provide dry dock and repair facilities, and
coal and of bunkering stations trade routes.
There Will be interesting along this line from
time to time. We are charged by law with investi-
CATIONS into ship classification marine insurance and
other important matters, about which there will be
interesting things 10 say later. and fast pos
sible. shall put American ships on new trade
routes, giving service to other nations which have
suffered from ship shortage.
Former neglect Of American shipping due to
indifference and lack Of information the subject
by the average American If we are going to keep
the flag flying over the worlds trade
put ships and the back the daily thought of
every American, as they were in the days of the
Yankee. clipper ship. Our new merchant marine is
to be vastly bigger the interest must be cor
respondingIy greater When "Old Glory" flew over
the Yankee clipper. we were seaboard nation, with
no great inland Industrial centers and the west
a wilderness. Today. these new ships carry even
greater possibilities for inland states and industries
than those our coasts Ships are as important
TO the Kansas grain farmer the Iowa hog raiser the
Wisconsin dafryman and the Arkansas apple grower,
as to the New England cotton manufacturer OF the
racine coast Iu4l4utIILdl Inc! VIII IOI only carry
our goods to foreign customers but will bring back
materials for industries, and commodities
for the consumer. We shall have not only freight
ships but passenger liners, to bring customers from
other countries TO our markets and-even more i'm
Dortant in my opinion-carry alert Americans sight
seeing and Understanding in other lands. The sea
will once more call American youth, for we shall
need thousands of navgators and hundreds of thou
sands of seamen.
= think it is especially important to more
put the into the Imagination of the American
boy. Our literature is rich in the Sea adventure
yesterday. Many American boy would so to sea
If he knew that there are new opportunities. Our
new merchant marine affords those opportunities
Our navy has for generation been a thor
oughly national institution drawing many Of its Of
ficers and sailors from inland states. Our fresh
water sailors the Great Lakes are second to none
in ability, and the Great Lakes merchant marine,
like American railroads, surpasses those Of other
nations in efficiency and reasonable carrying rates
II want to see our new merchant marine occupy !
ing the place in national thought and the every
day affairs Of all Americans that our navy now oc-
cupfes. I want the whole American people to think
about it as often. and with the same pride. No
amount Of money or tonnage will maintain mer-
camille marine unless we can back It with American
public opinion"