The Washington herald., 1919-03-09
FARMERS AIDED
BY new MARINE,
ASSERTS HURLEY
100000 Tons Of Surplus
Products Being Sent
to Europe. -,
AMERICAN BOTTOMS
Var Congested u. S. Ship.
ping and Peace Approx
mates Situation.

How the new American merchant
marine is aiding the farmer and
stock raiser was told by Edward
y. Hurley. chairman of the United
States Shipping Board. yesterday
He declared that more than 1900,
COO tons of surplus farm products
are being shipped to Europe, and
more than so per cent in American
bottoms.
Because of inadequate ocean
transportation. the prices Of farm
products had an appalling drop at
the beginning of the war" he said
The armistice brought similar con-
ditions, but the situation was saved
by the ships OF our new merchant
marine, thes now carrying over
seas the greatest shipments in the
history Of American commerce.
with the outbreak Of the con-
aict our seaports became congested
with freight. Because of the more
urgent demands OF war We could
OBTAIN no ships to transport our
exports. We were the most power
ful OF all the neutrals, yet we
possessed no overseas shipping OF
our own and our commerce had tC
q o, nd upon ships of alien flags, a
dependence that failed us at the
FIST not, of war. Those controlling
these ships under foreign registc!
placed theif own war necessities
nrst and we helplessly stood aside
and watched the products Of our
farms and stOcRyards cOngest OF
piers and in ware houses, and saw
prices for these commodities des-
cend at an appalling rate, all be-
cause or the lack of ocean trans
portation.
Lack of transportation.
with the cessation of hOstilities
our seaboard terminals once more
began to choke with the products
OF farm and stockyard. a congestion
due to the same cause which had
overloaded them at the beginning oi
the war-laCk OF adequate Ocear
transportation.
After four years Of privation the
whole world is in desperate need oi
ali that we can send from this land
Jf plenty. The only reason why We
cannot supply that need lies in the
act that 100000 gross tons o1
shipping was sunk during the war
While American shipyards wrought
I miracle in production, their un'
yrecedented effort was not sufficient
20 overcome the enormous losses.
Nevertheless it is the American
-hipyards and the tremendous en-
~ -ies which built a Merchant Ma
-ine from the ground up, that are
saving a large part of the world
rom starvation today. Had it moi
10 hrrh fhfS
! sion sent aflpat in record time
American fs .mer would now b.
sdyinE economies instead Of the
Gee OF luXurieas
New Marine Saved Day.
f'ACcording to the Department q,
agriculture. there were in storage OF
foyember 350.tO0.OOO bushels of grain
10000 pounds Of dairy products and
tearly 1,0OO,OOO,OOO pounds of meat
Some Of the increases over 1917 werc
\ from 20 to 50 per cent-miscellaneous
meats, for example, 70 per cent; lard
more than 100 per cent. Had the new
American Marine not been on hand tC
move these products the consequent
crash in prices and blow to the agri-
cultural population would have beer
appalling.
-Our merchant marine was never SC
large as II is today. 1t is growing
faster than 1t ever grew before. And
the faster we build ships, the greater
will be our commercial Independence
America leads all other countries in
agriculture. Before tho upbuilding OF
our merchant marine we had beer
lfkened to a department store with
out a delivery system. depending or
rivals for the use OF delivery wagons
The war has opened our eyes to that
Our commercial independence can only
be maintained by having ships Of our
own"