The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-11-01
AMERICAN FLAG IS
NOW N ALL PORTS
UNITED STATES is IN TIE WAY
OF EEcCMING one OF THE
MARITIME NATIONS.
RESULT OF TIE GREAT WAR
Sh ps Built and Acquired by the Gov
eminent Are Being Turned Over 20
Private OVERWHELMING Men
to Operate Them.
BY JAMES p. RoRNAOAY.

BY JAMES p. ROENAOAY.
Washington. The United States
may yet become Il maritime nation. .
II is now making long strides in that .
direction. A member Of the consular .
service who came in the other day
from his post on the other side of the .
earth remarked that the American ilaG .
may now be seen regularly where ii I
was seldom. if ever. seen prior 10 the /
war American freight carrying YES
sells are now entering most of the inn
p0rtant ports Of the world said this
consular officer. at is a new expert
ence for those of us who are repre-
senting our government in far away
places to see American built ships
sailing under the American flag and
carrying products taking their place
alongside the ships of the other great
maritime countries"
Now that the men who fought IN
France have nearly all been brought
home the shipping board VII be able
To place great many more ships in
the frpight-carrying trade. During the
| last few days several additional as
| ~ignmentS have been made 10 South
( American routes and the number of
/ boats carrying freight 70 European
| ports is being increased almost daily.
War Made the Merchant Marine.
/ Development in Shipbuilding in this
! country has already progressed enough
/ To warrant the statement that foreign
trade is no longer Il question of ships.
/ When the United States entered the
war i'm April. 1911. the country. AZ al
most everybody knows, was without
/ merchant marine worth mentioning.
Since the war began the government
has launched l.4GS ships of 5.4uG,O3S
. gross tonnage kcelS for 30 Iddi-
tioual ships have been laid and many
Of these vessels are almost ready TO
be launched. OF the government ships
launched l.OO4 were built Of steel. AS
of wood and 1G were of composite
build. Every one is a large modern
! freight carrier.
The government since the beginning
of the war has also come into posses
sion of large number of ships, some
freight and some passenger. through
purchase. II is also the pOSSessOr OF
the German owned ships that were
informed i'm harhors in this country
when we entered the war. \ few or
these German ships may 60 tn other
countries in the final distribution, but
most of them will continue to sail I'M
der the American flag. The govern
mcnt is not operating all the ships IL
has built or has bought since the war
began. A good many have passed 10
private ownership. 1t has been the
policy. however. to insist that all YES
sells disposed Of by sale shall remain
under the American flag.
All to Be Privately Owned.
Congress. il is assumed. will in due
time authorize the shipping board 10
sell all gOvernment-Owned ships. The
board some time age recommended
private ownership and operation as a
fundamental policy for commercial
shipping. In its report 70 congress II
advocated legislation which would au-
|
commercial shipbuilding. ship owning
and shin operating activities "at the
earliest date which may be convenient
and practical" Thus far congress has
not taken up the subject but it plans
to do So at the next session. New
companies for the operation of ships
are being organized nearly every
week. The ships that are now being
sold by the shipping board are as d
rule passing into the hands of these
companies.
The problem of obtaining men to OPP
crate American built ships is beina
solved. Some months ago the govern
rnent through the shipping board of
fered some unusual inducements in or
der to interest young men in the seq
D life. For one thing it established here
" a supercargO school in which a large
number of young men were trained II
the business of taking charge of thu
cargo of an ocean freight carrier. The
Young men trained in this school. anC
who had never had any particular ex
: perience at sea. are now making regu
I lar trips to foreign ports. and thu
testimony is that invariably they like
i II. OF the 100000 young men wh'
: crossed TO France at wars call. thou
sands acquired a taste for sea lif'
a and are falling into the new MARTINI,
organization.
In nearly every port along the AT
lantic and gulf coasts operators o
privately owned ships have Opene,
= schools for the training of ordnar!
Seamen.
Two Problems for Congress.
While the senate trying t
dispose of the treaty Of peace will
Germany. congress as a whole i
y finding time to give some thought t
TWO subjects in particular. railroad
legislation and budget system for tn
government In committee in bot
senate and house some real progress i
now being made with the framing o
legislation under which the railroad
will he returned 10 their owners. Blu
il is doubtful say the men who are en-
guged in formulating this legislation
:. Wealth.
There is no wealth but life. Lif