New-York tribune., 1920-12-18

reason Of having to pay less for the
transportation thereof. On no &C.
count must any of the people of New
York State, especially, oppose the de-
SIRE of the states bordering on the
Great Lakes to make direct connection
with the sea through the St. Law
renee River. Reflect for moment
. the productive and political power
f northern Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michi-
~an, Indiana. Illinois, Minnesota and
wisconsin. These people say: eve
nave determined to make a Mediter-
ranenn out Of our Great Lakes. which
are to connect directly with the ocean
through the st. Lawrence River.
You want our votes to help you
to maintain your merchant marine
You shall have them, provided you help
us in our desire to bring your mer-
chant marine intact into the heart of
America" The people of the Missis-
sinri Basin say practically the some
Piver and its affluents, which consti-
tute by all odds the most marvellous
system Of inland waterways to be found
anywhere in the world.
The third and most important ie-
n'rture in American policy is the es-
Enlistment of free ports It is an
absolute fact that a producing nation
which is also world creditor must at
tNe same time maintain protective
rolicy and a svetem of free ports.
mere is no possible way Of avoidin =
protective tNrif in o country ike
urs thNt has so manv kew indus
tries still imnerfect'v devc,oned.
Free Ports Advantages
If we were entirely to abandon pro-
t"cfl"n ours won 4 become aim st Il
purely agricultural country. With the
rate of foreign exchange as at present
existing, no tariff, however hign, could
prevent the importation OF foreign
made goods to the almost entire ex-
tinction Of the American product. 1t
has been suggested that an embargo
be laid upon the importation of for
eign merchandise If this were done
it would tend to the practical extinc-
tion of foreigners Indebtedness TO US,
which, of course, is unthnkable.
BY the establishment Of free ports
however, two ,oircts are attained
first, the redistribution by trans
shipment and reexport of such foreign
made goods as may be rendered in sat
isfaction Of foreign indebtedness to us.
The second and equally important re-
suit would be the obtaining Of cargoes
for American ships. it is m stake
be maintained solely by the export of
such things as are grown or manu-
factured in the United States alone
by the import IF such articles as may
be consumed or raw material as NAV
be manufactured by the people Of this
, country alone
A merchant mar ne depends upon car
goes from every place, and the ex.
istonce Of free ports gives a country
\ continual stock CT careoes in or cut
wherewith to fill in any lack there
might be Of complete cargoes in or out
of the country. Free ports, as has
been proved beyond argument do not
interfere with the protected interests
Of country protected by high tariff
Hence it follows that if we unfold
to the voting majority of our inlanc
citizens a vision, q comprehensive plan
that includes their own activities, pro
tects their own industries and facii.
tates transportation and sale of THEN
own products, we shall have every
man and woman between the Rockies
and Alleghanies resolved with set de
termination that never again shall the
United States he rereft Of thorough V
efficient merchant marine bearing the
Stars and Stripes into every country
and port of the world
(This is the s;nth Of Il scries of ~
tictca on tho outlook for the neaO mer-
chant marinc IN Mondays article
Frank c. Munsom, president of the Man.
sOn Lines aCiU discuss leqisldtion as an