Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-05-25

The United States is getting in ship
shape for world trade. That means
that the fed
Merchant Marine eral authorl-
Legislative Task. as the legisla-
tive agency and such establishments
as the shipping board and Depart
ment of Commerce as the admlnistra-
tive, are cooperating with private
business enterprise for efficient oe-
livery overseas of our surplus, ana
the bringing back of the barter other
lands have to offer in exchange.
The new Congress has made mer-
chant marine. policy one OF ITS most
urgent tasks, and a conference OF the
republican leaders decided that the
merchant marine question is 100 ois
and too important to be enmeSheo
with any investigation OF the snip
ping board. The Senate has instruct.
ed the shipping board to report what
legislation should be enacted to pro-
mote, continue and insure the main.
tenance, development and operation OF
an American merchant marine. !,
In order TO give an Intelligent and
board called into conference in Wash
ington during the last three days
REPRESENTATIVES of importers and eX-
porters, of organized labor, American
bankers. agricultural associations.
foreign trade organizations, manufac-
turers, naval architects, trade asso-
Citations and commodity jobbing con-
Germs, and shipping interests gener-
ally.
The importance of providing the
ships to deliver the goods overseas
was emphasized by
Three Hard Secretary Redfield in
an address in New
1ionAeAe' York on Wednesday
before the National Association of
Manufacturers. He said that in the
commercial readjustments the United
States has had three hard problems,
ships, food and credits. He believes
that these are now being worked out
and told the business men that the
Department of Commerce has ad-
vised the shipping board that it pro-
poses to suggest for it's consideration
certain trade routes that should be
adopted and occupied for the benefit
Of our foreign commerce and that he
hopes In a few months. at the long
est, these can be established and put
in operation.
At the opening of the shipping
pointed out that the first step in ex-
banding overseas trade along sound
business lines fs permanent, efficient
American merchant marine. If our
ships are not operated efficiently. he re-
minded, it will mean high freight
nlIr n 70
ufactured articles. That so per cent
of our commerce should be carried in
American bottoms and the other so
per cent should be carried in ships of
other nations. he contended, because
mo aae tha1 So states planned to
oblige many of our ships to return in
ballast, and thus increase freight
rates.
Three great national needs to be
met by this merchant fleet, in addition
! to its primary func-
Three Urgent ton of freight car
p.:A riage. he emphasized
Requirements. as follows:
Observation-Disclosures and mainte-
nance of an American ocean mail
service capable Of covering the world.
Such service should place every
American farmer. manufacturer and
merchant in direct touch with each
and every one of his foreign custom
ers and prospective customers. CO.
incident With this service should be
an overseas extension of the parcel
post.
Second-A centrally controlled wire
less telegraph system for use in pro-
noting the safety of life and prop
erty at sea. and for giving to Ameri-
can business the advantage of COM
code.
Third-Adequate provision for the
training of an officer personnel capa-
pie or making sure that the United
States ships will always go to sea
In charge of American citizens.
with the American merchant ma
rine on the way. and with large Ger
man vessels being taken
Commerce in payment ton for ton
=. r..l for American ships sac
III 1oou' rificed in ruthless sub
| marine warfare, Secretary Redfield
offers the reminder that the huge
I'volume of food now being shipped
constitutes in itself a great COM
! merce and has a helpful reaction on
many domestic Industries. Add to
this food commerce the normal for
eign commerce in manufactured
articles, which many agencies are
seeking to expand. and the problem
OF credits at once demands atten-
ton. Heretofore the Americans do
ing business abroad had a provincial
documents. This was because Ameri-
cans did not have in the foreign
markets adequate banking facilities
This Is now changed. American
bankers are scattering their branch
es all over the world and doing more
than anything imaginable to defeat
enemy propaganda and promote that
good Will" which is SO essential to
all trade. particularly in foreign
countries. But this is only one of
three great recent forward steps in
commercial legislation, "a that part
of the federal reserve act permitting
American bankers to establish for
eign branches; ca the so-called
Webb Pomerene act which permits
cooperation In foreign trade, and
90 the recent authorization to the
War Finance Corporation to furnish
credits to finance foreign trade to
the extent of a billion dollars, either
through exporters or through the
banks that furnish them credit.
Congress- is preparing to pass still
further legislation along these and