New Britain herald., 1920-01-20
TIII. SHIFTING. BOARD,

The 'Pan- Am erlcan Congress. now report on the activities of the United States Shipping Board during the war. and an outline of it's future pol icN last evening when Chairman Payne spoke of it's work. The report is of interest to the North American public as well as 10 the men from south Amcrica bearing. il docs OH tue important question Of what our plans are to bring about closer trade relations between the two continents. II goes without saying that. with out the proper tra transportation facili ties trade iS; impossible between any nations separated by the sea or by land. We must have ships to carrv our wares. Unless we would pay other countries a portion of our profits. which may be dictated 10 the amount by them, we must own our own ships. Providing we wish to ship in the care of others there arc innum crablc chances for the others to oNCtNo o''' " ll1t dllI iCtiOHS NS might offer ip prices and quality of goods by making the carriage charges so great that we may not hope to compete with the goods manufac- turcd in the country which owns the carriers. There can bc no question
 but that one of t,crmany's greatest assets in building up world market was her line Of ships to carry them.
 She was not only able to carry her
 own goods chCa per but was able 10 stine competition by charging high
 freight rates on goods which she car
 ricd for other nations. There was moro than one small port in South
 Amcri and even in the West In
 dies which owed it's existence to her ships. Consequently, in looking to- wards the south for q market we must first be sure of our deliveries. The activities Of the Shipping Board furnish these cargo carriers.
 IL is well known that we had but
 few ships prior to the war. that our merchants were content to let our goods he carried under other flags. which. iC it did nothing else allowed the money for the freight to go into the hands of foreigners. There were,
 ip April. 1917, according to the speaker. siNty-onc shipyards in tho United States. There are now two hundred and twcntN-thrcr. offering
 facilities for q much larger program !. of shipbuildinS. In l2l7 the Ship ping Board launched one hundred and six ships. in-l91S. eight hundred and twelve, and in 1912 ono thousand and >:iXtN-iirc. There remains to be launched and delivered. according to our war program. five hundred and thjrty-four ships. We have con tractcd with Japan for fortyfNc more. eighteen Of which have been briivnrcd. Our entire fleet will num- Der, after allowances arc made for transfers tp other flags. one thousa nd six hundred aud eight eight ships of total tonnage of ?.29S.669 tons deI IdWciGht. which will he operated u-dcr our flag and which will be avaiIa hIc for the trade routes of south America and other countries.
 There is every reason to suppose that these ships will be used by con- ccrnS in the United States. that their space will be quickly filled as soon as our production places us in position to export at reasonable prices The manufacturer has. at his disposal one of the grca test assets that is possible to furnish him. He should not ignore it. should do what he could to nurse our merchant fleet into q commanding
 position in world commerce. Where. upon ii will be found that the yards we constructed under war pressure will be always running at capacity to rrplcnish our stock of ships.