Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-21
MERCHANT MARINE ACT
PASSED TO AID OUR SHIPPING
Senate Commerce Committee Yarns administration Not to
Back Water' in Face of Foreign Representations.
America "Not on a Sunday School Picnc'

Washington. June 21.-The admin
istration has been warned not to black
water" from the stand outlined by Con-
gress in the shipping law, in face OF the
representations that are being and will
be made by the foreign powers. In
statement today by Senator Jones, of
Washington, chairman of the Senate
commerce committee, the declaration Is
made that the shipping bill was framed
to aid merchant marine and in its con-
sderation Congress had not sought to
bring comfort to our foreign competi-
tors.
THE merchant marine act" says the
senator, maps out an uncharted sea for
us upon a matter of supreme impor-
tance, and as time goes on. and our mer-
chant marine is built up, 1t will be real
lied what great thing has been done.
"Other nations are beginning to
awake to the fact that we are going to
make determined effort to engage in
the worlds carrying trade. England has
directed her ambassador to look into it,
and no doubt he will use every diplomat
ic means to thwart our purpose. Our
officials must know that it is their duty
to assert and mainta in our interests and
our laws and do their part toward car
rying out the expressed will of our
people. -,
''The ships we have are to be sold
not hastily nor wastefully, but care
fully and prudently, to bring as great a
money return to the government as pos
sible and yet effectuate the great purpose
of the act.
ships may be sold to aliens only
when they are not suitable for our needs
and after every effort has been made to
sell them to our own people. No sale can
be made to an alien unless five mem
hers of the board agree and the reasons
for such sale must be recorded, so that
all may know why the sale has been
made.
mot only should our railroads and
internal waterways be most closely con-
nected but our railroads and overseas
sbinning lines should be brought into
the closest co operation. Improved ter
minal facilities and methods of hand
ling products, whether for import or
eynort. are greatly needed. The gov
ernment las many great terminal ia
cilities, including docks, wharVeS, ware
houses' etc, which it acquired during
the war emergency and especially for
war nurposes. These can and should be
used now for commercial purposes and
in aid of our merchant marine.
American Mail In American Ships
american mail should be carried in
American ships IL at all practicable. OF
Tho more than SO 900, 900 paid every
wear for carrying our mail overseas,
about So. 800, 900 is paid to foreign
ships. This il so much aid or subsidy
to them. This we want stopped. We
need, especially in the Pacific and South
American trades, new and up-to date
passenger and combination passenger
and cargo ships Of high speed and large
tonnage. We must get them or our
competitors will take and hold these
| trades.
"British Lloyds is one of the greatest
factors in maintaining British mer
chant marine. We should have sim =
liar organization in this country and
We feel that the American bureau of
shining should be to our shipping what
Iloyds is to British shipping. We,
therefore, provide in this act for it's en- :
couragement by directing all govern =
mental agencies to use that bureau for
classification purposes.
"Only about 10 per cent Of our hull