Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-02-07
SHIP PROGRAM
Up IN THE AIR
No Near Hope for Forging
Ahead in Monster Ship
Building
By RICHARD SPILLANE-
Special Writcd Assigned TO Humanizc
and Yita!izc the Topics OF Econ


and kit9stZe tie TOPICS OF ECoh-
omics and Reconstruction
SO far as America planned to pulld
a monster merchant marine the pro
gram may be said to ave been halt
ed. The present order is t. dispose
of all small craft to private owners,
curtail construction of other vessels
and abide by the original IDEA only
in relation to big ships-steamers OIL
10000 tons or more.
When Edward n. Hurley, head OF
the Shipping Board. returns from Eu-
rope he will report that ms MISSION
abroad was o failure. II could have
been a success only if he had been
able to induce foreign governments
To agree to American standards as 10
size of crews, rates of pay OF seamen
and officers, hours of work ana char-
acter of food and quarters of men.
Through the influence OF Senator
La Toilette a law was passed by Whlch
what practically was a union LABOR
scale was established on American
ships. This did not operate seriously
to our disadvantage at the time as
the bulk of our maritime operations
were confined to coastwise trafhc In
whic< foreign vessels are not permit
ted to engage. When It came to world
trade, however, il was different Ch-
less we could induce other govern
mcnts to accept the American scale
the American shipowner would be at
q FERROUS disadvantage.
whether Mr.. Hurley favored the
La Toilette law is not known, Proba-
bly he did not. 1t was a law ana ne
went abroad in an endeavor to get
foreign governments to raise their
shipping regulations to that standard
80 that American ships would not be
under ahandicap.
The argument he advanced was
somewhat along this line: "Seamen
of merchant vessels have played a he
roic part In the war. Without their
sacrifices and devotion to duty the
war could not have been won. They
went to sea in ships that were I'M
armed. Their vessels have been de-
stroyed by U-boats. Thousands Oh
sailors of Great Britain, France.
Norway, Holland, Spain. Sweden It
aly Greece and America have lost
their lives or been Ihe
small boats in which SURVIVORS nave
sought to reach land have been shell
ed. The men have suffered privation
Though who have escaped have re-
turned to the sea. They nave peeh
fighters in the great aus as truly as
men on w~arShips or men on the pattle
front. They never have been PAID al.
eouotely, They never a decent 1000
or Accommodations. They deserve
better than they have r~eceivoc' The
A nrican is hlBn. II III na-
tiors accept the ATt erican IL
will be to the benefit Of all seamen ana
no nation will be fekored. All viii be
on IN equal footing.
In principle the statesmen OF va
rious governments accepted this view
but when it came to the shlpowners
There was violent protest. shipping
men of Great Britain declared the
Hurley request was an m~pertinence.
British ships are operated at low cost
mich lower than American vessels:
The British have had about one-hair
of The ocean tonnage. AS their ships
were being sunk by wholesale they
looked upon Americas shipbuilding
plan with favor, but as the U-boa
menace waned they saw America
as a rival to Great Bgnpn in ocean
trahlca w Mcr.---ssf ~ ~ons-5ife
- . for aees. Sea traffic VINE "
pf the British empire. Anythll
lMaflenged British supremacy Or
Yea. or impaired British cohtroi
IA national menace.
thiIe the Sailors Union OF Great
-ETifan approved the Hurley plan the
british shipowners did not. III was
fhp same In other countries. -
Mr.. Hurley got n hearing put lt.ie
else wherever he went.