Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-03

ing coastwise vessels, will have q
m erchant fleet of about 18.000.0 900 tons,
nearly that of Great Britain, and. he
added, the two nations will control
about two-thirds Of the worlds tom
mage.
we do not desire and 1t is not our
purpose to drive other nations of the
sea-" said Senator Jones. but we do
want to do, and we ought to do. at
least our proportionate part of our
own and the worlds carrying trade.
so that our commerce shall have q
fair chance in the worlds markets
and that we may hereafter be fully
prepared for any emergency"
s,ooo, 900 Tons to Beowned by o. 8.
Regarding the governments future
shipping policy, Senator Jones said
about eight million of the twelve mil
lion tons under the American nag in
foreign trade will lie government
owned.
I'VE may differ about government
ownership" he said, but that can be
no issue here. The government owns
these ships. whether we will or no.
We must not allow private parties
to take the cream of this shipping
and let the government hold the bal
fee. Grant that government owner
ship should end as soon as may be
it must be brought about as nearly
as may be without unnecessary sac
rifice. No one can reasonably hope
that private enterprise and capital.
and handicapped by our own inexperi-
ence, will be able to absorb and take
while"
Senator Jones also contended that
unless private capital can take over
eminent at Camden. n. j.. and now
operated through the New York Ship
building Company. it should be re-
tanned and used for the construction
of the large ships for which there
are no other facilities.
Plans Of Bill Explained.
In explanation of his Till to create
a merchant marine corporation, un-
der government control; to operate
the government fleet for not more
peting with private, established lines.
Senator Jones said@f conclusion:
We now have the United States
Shipping Board acting in a dual ca
pacity. 1t was intended to be a great,
regulatory, governmental agency, and
ts' III idCI, ooius the "oFh Oh u great
both. ends. What 1 propose is to di-
vorce the shipping board entirely
from building, selling or operating
ships and allow 1t to do the things
it was created to do. and create a cor
poration. separate and Independent of
1t. to operate. maintain and dispose
of our ships in such a way as to give
US an adequate merchant marine on a
permanent basis"
The bill which Senator Jones said
he personally would urge would
abolish the Emergency Fleet Corpora
t. retain the present shipping
board only in supervisory capacity
and create a new merchant marine
to operate government
ships for thirty years. but not in COM
petition with established private
lines.
The alternative bill presented by
the commerce committee chairman is
a comprehensive measure extending
and superseding the present shipping
board act and contemplating the in
clusion of the duties and powers of
the shipping board on all matters Of
operation, as at present"
Wants Ultimate Private ownership
Ultimate private ownership Of the
governments shipping property is
favored by Senator Jones. The pro-
posed merchant marine corporation.
which would have no capital stock,
would take over all ships acquired by
the government during the war and
all vessels and property in the hands
of the Shipping Board and Emergency
Fleet Corporation. for operation, sale
or other disposition with q view to
maintaining a permanent American
merchant marine. The new corpora
ton would operate all government
merchant tonnage ana shipping prop
erty while the shipping board would
have a status similar to that which
the Interstate Commerce Commission
bears to the railroad carriers. The
shipping board would have supervi-
sion over shipping rates and the In
terstate Commerce Commission would
be authorized, with the marine cor
poration, to require connections be-
tween rail and water carriers. Devel-
opment of new shipping routes and
lines for American shipping would be
one of the principal functions OF the
shipping board:
The Jones bill declares for a 1ed"
eral policy of having a merchant ma
rine Gsufficient to Insure" American
"a fety in emergencies and sufficient to
carry the greater part OF American
commerce. together with ample ship
building and repair facilities. all III
fimately to be owned and operated oy
private parties and capital.
The proposed merchant marine cor
would be managed oy nine
directors. with headquarters at Fhii-
adelphia.
Mrs. Frances Lewis Dies.