The Washington times., 1919-03-29
DO YOU WANT SOME OF The PEOPLES SHIPS?

RUNNING the ships?
Why could not the navy Of the United States the train
ing school at Annapolis produce officers admirably fitted
to the ships for the people of the United States?
It should be remembered that the most important
thing about ship is its value to protect nation and It's
allies in time If broke out again month after
all this shipping had been turned TO private hands
would not the Government be compelled Immediately to
buy it back?
And wouldn't the Government be compelled to pay
EXTRAVAGANT PRICES for the shipping sold far below
cost of construction?
The great weapon of nation in war is shipping The
ship used to carry freight be used later to carry
soldiers and if necessary to carry guns.
Could anything be prepOsterOus than scattering
these fleets taking them away from the control Of the
people Of the United States?
One hundred thousand seamen will be needed to man
such feet Of ships the United States has built and
contracted for Would not be worth while to keep these
men, extremely well paid well trained by American naval
officers on the payroll of the Government ready at any
Is this time with anarchy and civilization fighting IN
Europe for this country to throw away the chance Of haV
ing at hand under Government control splendid body Of
well paid, highly trained, well disciplined seamen?
Should the hundred thousand men necessary to man
the ships be turned private individuals to be ex
plotted for profit which means paying them little
possible and working them long hours possible and
keeping them disseminated possible?
The people of this country have been taxed hundreds
upon hundreds OF millions to build these ships They have
been urged and implored In the of patriotism to buy
war bonds to pay for the ships.
And is all this to be changed into proftmalng
machine for private individuals the property of the people
be sold far below and the people themselves in freight
and passenger rates taxed whatever the traffic will bear to
enable few private citizens make fortunes out of the
peoples expenditure of the war?
It is well known that Of these ships taken today
and put work at the present high rates of freight could
be made to pay for itself within year. two at most
Thanks the submarine the world is far behind in its
shipping facilities Mr.. Hurley himself said that it would
take the next five years to catch up and supply the ships
that are needed.
During those five years the freight and passenger
rates will be extremely high the profits for private owners
of sea-going vessels will be very great Great enough
certainly pay for the ships at least perhaps twice
in the course of five years.
WHY is it necessary for the Government which owns
the ships and has paid for them to sell them to private in
dvduals and allow them to be exploited during the coming
five years of high prices?
The United States needs to develop foreign commerce
We need to reach every port with goods manufactured v
American wormen and distributed by American business
How magnifcenty the Government could Cooperate
with American industry if it owned this great fleet oper
ated it. for the profit of individual shipowners but
for the profit Of every man. manufacturer and exporter in
the United States
The people should keep their ships, own them, and
operate them.
But they won't do it, for organized finance controls
this country and its government Organized finance blind
to what happening in Europe will get its lessons
But the time has not come, A. BRISBANE