The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-12-09
AMERICAN SHIPPING

For many years American shipping had been going from
less TO less until the American flag was a rarity on the high
seas, Time was when American tonnage was quite as large as
the tonnage OF almost any other country, and when the war and
the German undersca boats came on American commerce sui
fered g%reaty-our merchants could not get ships anywhere, AT
this conjuncturc the government set TO work building ships on a
large scale, as it does everything worth while, the result OF which
is that we have already as many ships and as much tonnage as
any other country, and it is proposed to sell these ships to for
egners and hire or charter them as they are needed.
Senator Mcclellan opposes this idea, and believes that the
government should hold and control a large emergency fleet that
can be used to transport American products from any part Of
this country at any time. This would be a great advantage to
the smaller ports along the South Atlantic, the gulf and the
Pacific. Foreign owned ships crowd into New York, Boston and
New Orleans, where ireiGhts are usually congested and where
cargoes for any part of the world NAV be had. These ships will
not maintain regular lines to the smaller ports, leaving the bust
ness of these ports to be cared for by tramp ships or occasional
vessels that happen along, This is a hardship on shippers located
In these small ports. 1t initiates against their growth and de-
velopment, and prevents a reasonable and necessary service from
being supplied different parts of the country. With an emergency
fleet held in readiness by the government this want could be
supplied, and trade lines could be established and built up between
points that would not pay at the outset. We have no ships
making regular trips to South and Central American ports.
Freight or passengers seeking to reach these countries must go
to New York, and il ships are not found there they must go to
London TO find accommodations. This had to be tolerated as a
bad condition while we had no ships OF our own; but now that
we have ample tonnage it should no longer exist. American
products that find a market abroad, anywhere overseas, should
be carried in American bottoms direct from American ports to
destination, and it should not be necessary to pass them through
the ports of Europe, where a certain amount Of toll is taken from
every ton passing through them. Such a roundabout and uncertain
way places American commerce at a big disadvantage, because
foreign markets supply themselves in Europe, where shipping
facilities are immediate and ample at all times. 1t would give
the smaller ports a fair chance to grow and build up trade with
foreign countries. We are going to increase production i'll this
country, and we want markets, the best markets, for our surplus
products, We have much to do before we recoup ourselves for
the enormous losses given us by the war. To meet our COM
petors on an equal footing we must have a merchant marine
and warshps enough to protect it against any enemy in case OF
war, Now that we have built the ships and are equipped for
building others we should serve our own people first. The wants
Of this nation are paramount and should be first provided for.
When this is done we can build ships for other nations and other
individuals that may have the money to pay for them,