South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-08-19

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 were in the days OF the
Yankee clipper ship Our new mer-
chant marine is TO be vastly bigger
and the interest must be correspond
iDglv greater. When "O'd Glory"
flew over the Yankee clipper, we
were a seaboard nation, with no
great inland Industrial centers. and
the west was a wilderness. Today.
these new ships carry even greater
possibilities for inland states and
industries than for those on our
coasts Ships are as important to
the Kansas grain farmer, the Iowa
hog raiser. the Wisconsin dairyman
and the Arkansas apple grower, :
20 the New England cotton manu-
facturer or the Pacific coast lum-
herman. They will not only carry
our goods TO foreign customers but
will bring back raw materials for
our industries, and commodities for
the consumer. We shall have not
only freight ships. but passenger
liners, 20 bring customers from other
countries 10 our markets and-even
more important, In my opinion
carry alert Americans sightseei eng
and trade-e extending in other lands.
The sea will once more cali Amer
lean youth. for we shall need thou
sands Of uavigators and hundreds Of
thousands Of seamen.
] think il especially important 10
once more put the sea into the i'm
agination of the American boy. Our
literature is rich in the sea adven-
ture OF yesterday. Many an Ameri-
can boy would go 10 sea if he knew
there are new opportunities. Our
new merchant marine affords those
opportunities.
Our navy has, for generation,
been thoroughly national institu-
ton. drawing many OF its officers
and sailors from inland states Our
fresh water sailors on the Great
lakes are second 20 none in ability,
and the Great lakes merchant ma
rine. like American railroads. sur
passes those OF other nations in eff
fciency and reasonable carrying
rates
I want TO see our new merchant
marine occupying the same place in
national thought and the every day
affairs Of all Americans that our
navy now occupies. want the
whole American people 70 think
about it as often. and with the same
pride No amount Of money or ton
mage viii maintain a mercantile ma
rine unless we can back il with
American public opinion
am a business man. and so this
looks TO me like q straight selling
proposition. il is not enough 20
build and operate a big merchant
marine We have got 70 sell il TO
the great American public and par
ticularly the farmer and workmen
who make up the backbo Of this
country and the boys who must
again be brought under the spell Of
the sea. Selling is nothing more
than making people see what your
goods can do for them. so our mer-
chant fleet must be brought home 20
Americans everywhere in terms Of
direct benefit
Vow YOU gentlemen direct the
public opinion of this country. Out
Of the mass or news which comes TO
you daily-local national and inter
uational-you discern the dominant
issues. hear your readers silent ques-
tons. marshal the vital facts. and
present them i'm ways that tell peo-
pie what they want 70 know. and
g.ye them the material for opinion
and action.
believe ID VIII be helpful 10 YOU
ir your work 10 understand what we
are irving 20 accomplish here
through Intelligent public opinion.
and that IL YOU can see the possibl-
titles in our merchant marine for
service. bot 10 this and other nations.
ss we see them here r. viii aid Won
in rendering service 20 he public.
For this reason. Z have yeutured -
write you, and II there is an wa