The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-05
3 BILLIONS LOST
+. :0N j. s. SHIPSBY
WILSON'S STAND
Presidents Reputation /of
Law Puts Enormous
Waste In Limelight.
PREVENTS SALVAGING
Serious Blow to American
Merchant Marine to Be
New Campaign Issue.
CAUSES CONSIDERATION
Republican Congress Efforts
to Help Shipping Set at
Naught by President.
PREVENTS SALVAGING
CAUSES CONSIDERATION
Special Despatch to THE HERALD.


WASHINGTON, Oct. 4.-President VIII
son has brought into the spotlight OF
the Presidential campaign the issue
Of Democratic extravaganza.
The President has refused to admin
lister the provisions Of the Jones ship
ping act, signed by himself imme-
diately following its enactment by the
Republican Congress. and cambridge
Colby, Secretary of State, has an
nounced that he will take the stump
to defend the Presidents action.
These developments followed the at
tack by Senator Warren G. Harding.
Republican nominee for the Presi-
dency, upon the operations of the
United States Shipping Board, which
he denounced as "a fiasco." Both the
Jones shipping act and the operations
of the Shipping Board are vitality in
yolved in the development of the
American merchant marine, which has
received a vital wound, in the opinion
OF those who favored the shipping act,
blythe Presidents action in withhold
ing the abrogation of the commercial
treaties named In the act.
Thus the issue is squarely raised and
the question that is now being asked Is
this:
Three billion dollars invested in ships
by A. .ica---what Is America going to
get out of it?'
Critics OF the Presidents act contend
that it has completely hamstrung the
development Of the merchant marine and
has made It impossible TO salvage the
more than $4,000. 100000 appropriated
for the operations of the Shipping Board.
II has directed the attention of the
public to the question of the operations
of the Shipping Board.
Impeachment Threatened.
BECAUSE of the Presidents action he
mas been threatened with impeachment
proceedings by Representative w. g.
Edmonds (Pa.). Republican member
of the Merchant Marine and Fisheies
Committee, who helped to frame the
Jones act.
II means that the question will not
only be fought out In the election but
that when Congress reconvenes in De-
cember the feud between the legislative
md executive branches of the Govern
nent will be revived in an acute FORM
In shipping circles from coast to coast
the failure OF the new merchant marine
law through the Presidents action has
created nothing short of consterr alton
and has had a depressing effect upon
the members of the Shipping Board.
Their operations denounced BY Sena-
Tor Harding have been made the sub
feet of an exhaustive review by Edward
NJ. Dingley, son OF the author OF the
DIngley tariff law After tracing the
history of attempts to revive the Amerl-
can merchant marine, and asserting
that the record shows that while Re
publicans for more than quarter of
century struggled to secure legisla-
zion the Democratic party was steadily
opposed to every measure presented
he enters into the question OF the opera
lions OF the Shipping Board
.sprobably it never will be asccrtained
exactly how much money was wasted
by the Shipping Board said Mr.. Ding
lev. According to the testimony OF
Chairman Payne or the shipping Board
before the Senate committee. Congress
had appropriated S3.1S1. 451,O for
ahiu building and other operations OF
the board up to January 81, 1920.
Total receipts for operating Were
sa44,s49.726; total expenditures were
ys.137,311,S16.
ANY one can figure the difference.
The Democrats have squandered enough
money to pay private parties subsidy
of 500, 00O, 900 annually for thirty years.
with no responsibility TO the Govern
ment
Enormous sums for Salaries.
"The Democratic Administration did
not stop at munificent salaries when the
Shipping Board was established. The
Administration created 1913 places with
salaries of $4,000 to $4,000 each. These
include three offices at $4,000 each.
one at $4,000, 10 at $4,000, at $4,000.
at $500. 8 at $4,000. 32 at 1900. 10
at $1,000. 9 at $1,000. 2 at $1,000. 7 at
$1,000 and 81 at $4,000 each.
..1Irhai haa the Ghinnlnr Rnnrd To