The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-08-18
DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAS MARINE
TO FOLLOW SHIPBUILDING PROGRAM


Edwin N Hurley, chairman of the United
the newspapers which is, in effect, an editorial
addressed to editors. 1t contains so much
sound logic and is so rich in information that it
also makes an editorial which all newspaper
readers will follow with interest.
Mr.. Hurley says in part:
I'VE shipbulders have all been prominent in
the news the past four months, and editorial
comment eli over the country has been most
atirlulatiag to shipyard spirit. We shall be
building ships all through 1919 and 1920, We
;rc building so many snips--three thousand Of
Tiers, --7eyty-ave million tons-that it is high
time to Prepare fc1 tie day, not far Of, when we
fhai agair have q real American merchant
-re
Much of CIR thought ca the United States
Chipping Board IS now directed to the operation
cf ships and The arousins Of the American
peoplo to the significance of ships. This does
tot mean that We are neGlecting shipbuilding, OF
course. e. is beins carried on with even
Ereate~ energy. and win never be permitted to
lag. The faster we build Sims however, the
more attention must be paid to operating them
So, IN devot.ng attention to our merchant
maxine, we arc simply working out broad, over
soand policies.
You viii scon see our merchant marine in
the news. Ccaan freight rates for our ships
ere to be regulated on Interstate Commerce Com
mission Iines-this is one of the Shipping Boards
functions under the law When our foundation
las been worked out we shall make the facts
public. We arc 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 oil bunkering
stations on trade routes. There will be interest
ing news along this line from time to time.
We are charged by law with Investigations in
to ship classification, marine insurance and
ether important matters about which there
viii be interesting things to say Ia o. And as
fast as possible, we shall put American ships on
new trade routes, giving service to other nations
which have suffered from ship shortage
Former neglect of American shipping was due
to Indifference and lack of information on the
subject by the average American. If we are
going to keep the flag flying over the worlds
trade routes we must put ships and the sea back
into the daily thought of every American, as
they We're in the days of the Yankee clipper
ship. Our new merchant marine is to be vastly
bigger, and the interest must be correspondingly
greater. When "Old Glory flew over the Yam
kee clipper, we were seaboard nation, with no
great inland industrial centers, and the West
was wilderness. Today, these new ships carry
even greater possibilities for inland states and
industries than for those coasts.
Ships are as important to the Kansas grain
farmer, the Iowa hog raiser, the Wisconsin dairy
man and the Arkansas apple grower as to the
New England cotton manufacturer or the Pac-
ific coast lumberman They will not only carry
cur goods to foreign customers, but win bring
back raw materials for our industries, and COM
rlodities for the consumer. We shall have not
only freight ships, but passenger liners, to bring