The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-03-09
MERCHANT MARINE IS
SALVATION OF FARMER
Increased Production OF IOo'istuffs
Cannot Avail without
More Ships
SHIP BUILDING PHENOMENAL
subuiding War Uses Leave Greater
h Tonnage for Commercial
Purposes.
SHIP BUILDING PHENOMENAL
,Hy EDWARD HURLEY,

Ivy l4llN NINlD III ltlfl. .
Chairman United States HulprInE
BoardD
WhiiO tho war wrought many
changes, It's beginning and end
marked by tho signing oof me armi-
HuCc-- were etrlNngly similar in one
respect
with tho outbreak ~ the conflict
our scaports began "a oungost with
freight there beluE no ships 10 carry
our exports hecauso OF the more utg-
ont demands Of war No woro the
most powerful ~ All the u"u'thla, yet
VIC had no overseas shipping OF our
own and our commerce hud 10 de.
pend on ships OF allen fldEH. "a de-
pendencc that failed uB at the first
note OF war. For those controlling
these ships under foreign register
placed their own war uccCssitics firat
and we helplcsaly stood aside aud
watched the products OF our farms
and stock yards Cnngcst on piers ana
In warehouses, and saw prices FOR
these commodities descend a. an ap-
palling rate all bcchuSe Of the lack
OF ocean transportation.
with the cessation of kOHiilitieH our
neaboard terminals once more began
to choke with the products or farm
the same cause which had overloaded
them at the beginning Of tho war
lack OF adequate ocean transporta'
ton.
Tonnage Tied up,
This was the reflex action OF the
war which absorbed and In still alb
uorbing tonnage for the homcward
movement or tho legion which had
been assem- bled on tho various battle
lines. The allies no longer depend
cnt upon American armies and
American war material for their ma
tional safety. suddenly withdrew
many OF their best ships from the
American trade. American business
was therefore thrown suddenly upon
Its own resources In caring for tho
essential imports 80 necessary for
our manufacturers,
After four years or prlvation the
whole world " In desperate need OF
all that we can send from this lssd
of plenty, Tho only reason why we
cannot Immediately supply that need
lies In the fact that upwards OF u.
900, 900 gross tons OF shipping had
been sunk during she war nnd al
though American shipyards Wrought
an amazing miracle In production,
still this unprecedented effort was
not sufficient TO overcome tho
enormous losses,
New fleet Helps.
Nevertheless II IN the American
shipyards and the tremendous ener-
giles which built a merchant marine
from tho ground up. that ls savlng
a large part OF the world from starv-
alton today Had II not been for the
great fleet which this nation sent
afloat In record breaking time and
the consequent Independence OF tho
American farmer OF freight bottoms
In which to ship his products, our
agricultural population would now be
studying economics instead OF the
price OF luxuries.
Although our seaboard terminals In
are congestcd with freight awaiting
shipment this running into hundreds
OF millions of dollars, more than 100
vcssels OF our new merchan, marine
are now devoted To the work of ex-
porting products OF American farms
and stock yards. Next to the fleet
that ls engaged In serving army
needs. this newly built fleet Of ours
is the greatest that now operates
under tho American flag. Moreover.
four-flfth OF this energy came from
American shipyards during the past
year, Only five OF the food carrying
ships antedate 1918
End of the War.
The sudden termination OF the war
found grain and meat storage lermi-
mails on the Aeaboards and great lakes