El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-09-19
MIGHTY MERCHANT FLEET READY
AFTER WAR FOR AMERICAN TRADE

MERICA viii be mistress Of the seas when the war
Not IN naval sense, for Great Britain Will still
have the largest and most powerful navy and Americans
VIII harbor envy because Of that fact for Britain IS
proving most desirable and dependable relative Of
and the British American French, Italian and other allied
naes after the VIII under the league Of nations plan
be for The use and defence of all
But in trade, America viii be dominant. That is Incl
dental It is aim. The United States would
have gone greater trade power after
the That could have without going into
the maestrOm We could have kept out and, to speak,
attended strictly business-buildng ships and
lining up trade connections abroad-Iuch profitably
America VIII dominant in trade after the because
Of having the goods TO sell and the ships TO transport them
The ships being built by the hundreds because Of
the necessity Of transporting millions Of troops and millions
Of Of supplies TO the and other millions Of
tons Of supplies to allies and some Of the neurals
Our 100000 tons year shipping program, which is
now becoming realized, VIII give by far the largest
chant marine N the world for after The bust
ness possibilities that fleet will make the
American people the better reconced to the huge present
Of building the fleet It is investment which viii
give immediate returns in the form Of victory the
mes Of the world and future revenue IN the form Of money
THE GREATEST AND MOST WIDESPREAD PROS
PERITY THE UNITED STATES HAS EVER KNOWN is
COMING AFTER THE WAR ENDS. We CAN LOOK
FORWARD TO IT WITH THE GREATEST SATISFAC-
TON, But MUST NOT HASTEN ITS COMING A DAY
BY STOPPING THE WAR on ANY TERMS SHORT OF
COMPLETE VICTORY.
comprehensive study Of ocean commerce and its
quemens has been under way by the shipping board for
several months and already many plans have been foTmu
lated By chairman Edward Hurley and his associates for
placing IN postwar trade American built ships where they
may serve most effectively this country and the Of the
world II is to be taken for granted that matter how
many ships may build now, transportation facih
ties viii be taxed TO iu capacity for years to
The shipping board has undertaken not only provide
ships for the and after the war but also inform
itself accurately about the TO which they VIII be put
Chairman Hurley has undertaken to ascertain in complete
detail the amount Of shipping that VIII be necessary after
the for carrying the domestic and foreign trade Of
the United States.
Foreign trade VIII be the chief item. The enormous
gain in exports shows how other nations looking to
exported about s25oooooooo worth Of products and
ported them mainly in the ships Of other nations That
long before had done than talk about mer-
chant marine Last year American exports totaed s5231
Co0Ooo nearly three times those Of 1914 OF the 1917
exports, than s1ooooooOoo worth comprised food
stuffs and food animals.
Although or exports may occasionally decline, still
there is every likelihood Of their increasing only during
the but after the Large areas Of Europe are
devastated and dePopulated The western European allies
produced last year about 100000 bushels Of wheat less
the annual prswar average. There great drop
in the wheat production Of other European countries
II iu be long time before European crops sp
pToxmae the pTewar crops And the prewar crops were
sufficient Europe has always had to import food
stuffs as well as other supplies.
While the is in progress, the United States has
big contract TO fill in supplying materials such coal steel
oil cotton, lumber, rails locomotives and great quantity
Of other products.
After the war when the task Of rehabitating Europe
Is begun It VIII be world job and staggering that
The United States VIII have major part in rebuilding the