The sun., 1919-03-06

patriotic satisfaction for the taxpayer
who Is to have the privilege of footing
the bills.
Middle Growing Worse.
Meanwhile the great American ship
ping muddle grows more muddled daily
Nothing approaching a tangible detailed
policy has been announced by the Gov
eminent
Nothing has been decided upon. Cha ir-
man Hurley Of the Shipping Board ad-
rnfts IL He has his weather eye open"
His ear is to the ground" His policy
FOR the moment" tand for the moments
OF many months psst) is (and has been)
one OF drifting" He hopes" that he
will drift right"
Drifting is the word-not only as re-
cards Mr.. Hurley. but his gigantic
American merchant marine" as we'll. The
great trade feet has not yet got steam
up, but II is adrift in an impenetrable
fog. powerfess, compasslesss rudderlees.
The Billion Dollar Shoals-of num-
ber uncomputed---are dead. ahead and
Government shipping is driving straight
for them Inexperience. indecsion. ex-
travaSance and Mr.. Hurley are its pilots.
The American people, supposedly, are the
owners They have paid the bills. but
they have had no voice in the manage
snent. They have sought explanations
and they have not received them. They.
too, have had to drift. and they are still
drifting.
"19.00O,0OO Tons by 1920"
"S'''ps, ships. more ships" was the
rallying cry during the war 1t is the
cry still. but II has lost its rallyins
power. despite its constant use. Nine
teen million tons Of oceansoing shipping
by 1920" Is the latest official announce
rnent. Senator Ransdell of Louisiana
makes 1t on figures which he says were
furnished to him by the Shipping Board
Nineteen million tons lightweight are
the equivalent OF f2.666,6S6 tons gross
BY 1870 Great, Britain probably will
have well over~1 100000 gross tons OF
shipping. On a gross tonnage basis the
programme as outlined by the Shipping
Board would figure out in this way:
~ Gross
ions
Now owned by the shipping Board . SIS 500
I.aunched, but not delivered. .......... l.lSe SIS
on WAYS. but not launched, ........... 2,Ss2, 72s
shipping Board tonnase by 1921. ..... s,sss, a;
Pryately owned tonnage. .............. ?,ss2.sls
Total tonnage by 1870. l.. So. sos
No Plan for Huge Tonnage.
Here Ia mass OF tonnage made or in
the making more than twelve times
Americas ocean going shipping at the
outbreak OF the war, for whose utiliza.
ton no plan has been perfected And
OF grave significance is the fact that /.
the programme should be carried tc
completion the Governments holding:
would outEumber those of private en-.
terprtse more than three to one lr
competition the Administration would be
in position TO eliminate or absorb in.
dividually operated American shipping
at will. But competition with other
nations would be another matter
1t Is these conditions that make per
tinent the repetition Of the question tc
which no answer has been vouchsafed
What does the Government intend tc
do with the huge merchant fleet IL i,
Accomplishing? VIII II operate II? VII
il turn 1t over to private interests fol
operation? Or VIII II dispose OF It tc
the highest bidders p"
Is there any marked sentiment in IA
vor of Government operation?
Until recently the Administration ha,
gone ahead as II it was a matter OF M
consequence whether there was or not
that what the Government wanted wa.
not subject to criticism. The suddenl,
avowed concern of the Shipping Boart
for public opinion conies at a peculia
stage of the situation.
Mr.. Daniels. Mr.. McAdoo and Mr.
Hurley have indicated from time TO time
with more or less of the vague indIrec
ZION which has characterized the who'll,
Government programme, that State own
ership and operation are to be put int
execution. Even Mr.. Wilson has gon,
no further than to state that coutro
uves shipping 'CwiN. Is not ~ eess4rpp,
operation) might have to be continued
for a long time.
Board split on Policy.
The Shipping Board itself is split o,
the question. Three OF the FIVE mem
hers. Charles, r. Page, cambridge Cobb,
man on the board, have declaret
against Government operation. Ray
rnond B. Stevens has been abroad, serv
ing with the Allied Maritime Transpor
Council, and has not made any publ
expression OF opinion go far as is known
The house OF Hurley. therefore Is di
,Ided against itself with the head o
the house in a unanimous minority 0
one
Less than any other business, in m,
opinion. does shipping lend itself to Gov
eminent operation" says Mr.. Page.
ut is my idea that we should TAX,
resolve within a short time 10 sci
the ships TO private corporations" de
clared Mr., Donald.
Mr.. Colby touches on the subject q
greater length than his colleague. IL
says:
IT have a personal opinion on the
great question that presses for de-
cision. II is the reflection OF opinions
entertained by many men who have
given their lives to the study Of
shipping problems and who have
achieved large success In shipping
operation.
"My personal view IS against Gov
: rrnment operation OF our merchant
MARINE. The business u ship man
asement the expert grasp OF donies-
tic and overseas market conditions,
illA shreM d sense Of trade nresun-