The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-01-25
Breaking Our Necks to Build Ships
at Highest Costs.


at Highest Costs.
The general subject of an American
merchant marine is very complex.
But the fundamental principle under
lying all of it is simplicity itself. This
Is that our ships must be so soundly
financed, SO economically constructed
and so advantageously operated that
we can use them; otherwise, whether
we have co0OO,OO0 tons or 1,OOO.OOO
tons. and whether the Government
builds and operates them or individ-
uals build and operate them, we
might as we'll have no merchant ma
rine at all. Except. indeed, for merely
keeping the flag flying, we might bet
ter have none ut all.
No merchant marine can live with
out business to support 1t. The mere
fact that a Government is willing to
put billions and billions Of dollars into
ships will not put business Into their
bottoms. The mere fact that q Gov
eEIl1neUl is WILING W hiai n va W.
considerable part Of the cost of build
ing those ships will not put business
into their bottoms.
There are only two things each
working with the other, which will
put business into the bottoms of ships
and keep them from rotting.~T They are
a superior service and cheaper rate
than anybody else gives. That Will
get the business for a merchant
marine that Is of Patagonia. 1t will
drive the proudest high cost argosies
off the seas.
The Government might sink $1,000
OOO,O 900 or S1O.OOO,OOO,O 900 in the con-
struction of merchant marine bigger
than the merchant marine of any
other nation. The Government might
sink 81 600, O00. 900 q year in efforts to
operate those ships. Yet, If the Gov
eminent still could not make better
rate than other ship owners. free to
compete. the Government couldn't get
the business any more than a private
individual could get 1t.
Now. with that fundamental truth
self-evident. there is already looming
an all important fact which is clearly
recognized and frankly acknowledged
by pretty nearly everybody who has
anything to do with the overseas ship
ming situation. This is that, Govern
ment ships or private ships, built al
inordinate costs or at moderate costs
there will be within very short time
TOO many SHIPS among the nations fol-
the worlds maritime business. That
means that whole fleets Of them, rep
resen;lng hundreds OF millions OF dol
lars of consumed material, Of ex
pended capital, of wasted economic
treasure, are going to rot anyhow.
Under these circumstances can this
country, can any country, be justified
In going head over heels into the ship.
ping business, in breaking It's neck to
build more bottoms than anybody else
when at best there will he too many
afloat? Can this nation in particular
afford TO ignore the economic truth
that the bigger the worlds excess OF
shipping over the worlds maritime
business the closer and closer viii
become competition. the lower and
lower will be driven the competing
cargo rates?
If our merchant marine plungers
have figured on an operating loss OF
$50 a ton a year on 20,O0O.OO0 tons
II would under these circumstance:
be just as liable to be 500 ton loss
Instead Of sinking three, four, or Ave
billions in the building of the ship:
and on top of that billion a year
say, in operating them, we might
easily sink two billions of dollars {
year in operating them.
Probably nobody will contest tn,
claim that we need ships to traffic OF
the high seas. We need them to pre-
serve perfect contact with our Soutl
American neighborS. We need then
70 carry our own flag to our own de
tendencies and possessions in the Pa
cific as far as the Philippines; ant
sending the flag as far as that, n
doubt we might well send 1t to tn
ports Of China and Japan. We nee,
them to maintain protection agains
unfair shipping terms and condition
by any other maritime Power seekin
10 keep us out of international com
merce. We need them as a nucleu
on which to build for any emergenc
Of international trade or duty.
But If we cannot compete in carry
ing business, II we cannot use on
ships because there will be an over
abundance of them, we do not nee
them by the millions and millions q
tons. built only at cost which