The sun., 1919-03-19

the Administration. Cancellation of
contracts and even stoppage Of all pro-
duction would bring no solution Of the
problem supplied by the Image on hand.
There has bsen no lack OF proposals
as to the procedure that should be fol-
lowed TO straighten things out Ship
ping. finance. industry and commerce
all have remedies to suggest. Some Of
the principal ones are:
Reimbursement of values of Government
tonnage by n drastic writing of.
Sale of Government ships at the cur
rent prices Of similar types or ships OF
other nations with which competition
must be had.
Sale Of the ships to the highest bidder.
Sale on installment plan.
Leasing on low terms or on n Der
centage basis.
Subsidies of various kinds.
Revision OF existing navigation laws
with the exception Of the last item,
II will be noted every suggestion ad-
>anced would necessitate q heavy money
expenditure or loss by the Government.
1t la Inevitable that there should be a
sacrifice. Instant and drastic action Is
called for. Not only the interests Of
shipping. industry, commerce and finance
are concerned. Consideration must be
given to the rights OF the taxpayer. And
1t has not been given Mt any stage In tho
Administrators programme Of uncurbed
squandering OF billions OF public money.
II not one penny more Is spent the total
loss will still be a ghastly one.
Word pictures Of great fleet OF
American merchant vessels with the
starry nag ripping from gaff or truck"
have been used by the Shipping Board
to arouse patriotic sentiment In support
OF the continuance OF Its programme.
But what patriotism lies In foisting upon
the American people a huge volume of
tonnage utterly unprotected from foreign
competition and for whose maintenance
on that basis further billions are sought
II the American flag continues to float
from trade feet 10 operated, It will.
| under the guise OF patriotism. be made
| the emblem OF one OF the most stupen-
dcus failures in commercial history.
Let us have nm American merchant
| marine by all means; but let II be a
real marlne-one worthy OF the Ameri-
can nag. Quantity output was the es-
| sential OF war. Quality output Is the
need now.
| And the dream Of snatching sea SD
premacy from Great Britail--let that
folly be discarded. too. England's mari
time power is based on foundations built
up during sixty years, with the weak
timber eliminated and the structure
strengthened as soon as tho weakness
was revealed. Against this seasoned
economic weapon the Administration has
been proposing to pit a mushroom mer-
camille marine, thrown together with the
haste OF war and constituted of what
ever material was available.
| Many Lessons to BE Learned.
| This dollhouse tonnage Is put forward
as serious contender for the mari.
time mastery OF the world. That power
may yet be ours. but there are many
lessons to be learned on the way. And
the first of these is that Governmen,
| operation never has been and never
| will be sound economic policy. save
where 1t constitutes n monopoly
Against naturalization OF American
shipping would be arrayed the force,
of Observation-Disclosures represented BY
the merchant marines OF all other ma
tons.
| Hands Off! Let the Government gel
out of the shipping business, and let 1,
| do 1t without delay. Scrap the worth
less tonnage. scrap the worthless plan
| scrap them as remorselessly as W,
have scrapped munitions plants anc
other Industrial machinery Of war. Saw,
what can be saved out Of the wrecl
OF taxpayers billions but stop the
source OF continued drain upon tn,
public purse.
| Then let the Government turn III
hand to constructive WORK. by aidinR