The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-10-12

George n~ockenhetm, MB. Thomas
~ILarTood. .irs. Earl Bowdich.
| competition nf European Eui,sid,-s
adverse uNarire ilsiulnec rates and
tho other competitive devices which
an experienced foreign shipping
world would concoct to hinder dcvri-
opment ~ Americas merchant fleet.
Benefited American Sldpping.
Tho republica, congress, respond
Ing to this need, enacted the Jonea
hill. II was not o perfect phNce az
legistatiun. No such claim was made
Tor a.: yet II went a LONG way toward
putting American shipping on ltS fN't
aud ewing tho assurances our ocean
operators demanded before they iu-
tested their capital 10 American
ships.
Tho men who drafted the uew
merchant marine legislation wera not
10 sollcitious for Europe Us they were
for America. The Jones hll II an
"Nmerirn first" law. II cmpov orci
the shipping board to grant certain
| preferences TO American ocean car.
ic.s. In mnny respects Il vns IN
The nature ot II salvage scheme 70
",Ecuc the American uerctan. ma
rine from the losses accustomed ~
/ mismans cement, fortunes of war and
1 other factors which those who aJ-
vocAtcd n saw were necessary
To supplement- Il the ltsGh-rum-
minis rnilroad law gave enlarged now
] eT 60 tie Interstate com
mlssit n 20 Rive preferential rates on
long haul Vno shipments n he car
ried In American bottoms. All tlesa
ptovtdons aroused immediate an1 ir-
tohsa opnortion IN the part OF Euro
pean governments erraged In the
shipni;.g business. These countries.
which have puirtisod suhsidi"a,
preferential rates and many other 10
vices To aid their " shipping. com
pialncd bitterly Of many injusticcs
In the Jones law.
1'oUirn propagnrdi"ts operating
both here and abroad modified
every available force 20 defeat tho
nrefcrential Natures of the shinnirE
a nd railroad Legislation. tntimauorH
Of diplomatic rupturcS and yelled
s'iKrestions Of more grave inicrra-
tlon0l complications were brousht
into play.
In fairness n Admiral william y.
Herann. chairman az he shlpni's
hoard. II mus ~ faid that Ne took
an uncompromisinE "Amerita urst"
RAND and ny the issuance Of stafr q.
Hents outlining his policy n, the aI-
ministratiGn of the law showed That
he intended 10 carry out the man
date OF the legislative branch Of the
I NnNNFflNfnN I've hNlfNNlAAfh AltNk NV
Atneritan congi esq had leg slate
for America and that this country re-
served the right tn gtve nich prefer
ences to her own shipping ~ the
maintenance OF the Rmert"an mef-
chant marine seemed to him to de-
mand.
Tho American Shipping world. APP
plauding this stand. found new eonii.
de,ce In the ultimate development Of
40 American shipping system, and
American merchant marine hftlirs
began to COX up.
The announcement OF Prosidept
Wilson's refusal U nhroRate the
treaties upon which the forelsn ship
ping relied came like Il thunderbolt
10 American ship owners aud Invest
ors. Their new bofn confidence u
wrecked.
90 DAYS tn Decide Law II Had.
After the president SEned the act
and had permitted Tar more than the
20 DAYS time allotted for his nal nc
tIon on lhe treaties TO eiapse he sud-
denly decided that Il was IA had law.
even though he had signed IL. lie
expressed no regret for having signed
Il. BIT passed the buck TO congress
by saying that Il had been folsted
upon him for signature In the great
haste Incident to tho termination Of
the session OF congress,
Admitting that many OF the provis-
Ions OF the law were admirable. he
took tho position that the require
ment for abrogation Of treaties was
Inconsistent with the preferences
given to American shipping n was
AN invasion Of the rights Of the chief
executive.
Secretary Colby. who il tn defend
the action OF the president before the
voters OF the country, cited a veto By
President Hayes OF n similar attempt
by congreHs to "trespaSs on the white
house pre- serve" At the same time
the analogy was not made clear, siHce
IN the case OF Hayes the mcasur was
vetoed, while In this Instance the
president signed the bill.
OF course this provides most eN-
oellent capital for republicans who
point to white house dlctation unde.
President Wilson as a menace to
that, the presidents action virtually
has wreBted the foundation stor1
from hen0 Rth the new ocean trans
%portntion \, stem OF America, and has
for the time being at least made II
impossible to realize upon our more
thnn three billion dollar iiveutment
In "a merchant marine.
The effect upon American invest
mcnts In ships cannot he estimated at
this time. more than to say that II
has been one OF the most severe
blows tho new industry has received
In It's entire history, according to the
Views OF well informed observers
here.
II has raised the questlnn, Are the
American people going to get any
thing substantial for their invest.
ment. and are American manufac-
turcrs still 10 he compelled 10 write
Off hnndicnps imposed by Europe
on their export business before they