The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-12-15
AMER| CA n SHIPS
CA RR|ED NEA RLY
I ONE-HALF NATIONS
OVERSEAS COMMERCE

washington, Dec. l5.-Nearly one
mar OF the nations record breaking
overseas commerce in the past fisca,
year was carried in American ships,
secretary Alexander shows in his an
nnl report made public this week.
The overseas trade reached the un.
/. precedented total of $11,S75, ,4.4 .O00
and $5,O7l 100000 of it was carried
in American-owned vessels as against
S36S,359,000 carried in American bot
toms the year before the war.
The total volume of imports and
exports by land and sea was S13,-
34s,66l,OOO. nearly $4,000, 900 900 above
the previous record established in the
fiscal year ended June 80, 1919. I'M
ports for the last year amounted to
s5,23S,621 900 as compared with 49,.
O95,720,000 for the previous year and
almost $4,000, 100000 for the fiscal
year of 1918. The value of exports
for the last fiscal year aggregated
1880, ,429 900. an increase Of approx
imately s00,O0O,O0O over the previous
year and $4,000, 100000 over 1918.
Mr.. Alexander also shows that dur
ing the last fiscal year the American
merchant fleet was increased by $40
vessels of 3,416,000 gross tons and
that on last June 30 American ship
ping comprised 2S,1S3 vessels of l6,-
S24,o24 gross tons. This compared with
7,92S,6SS in 1914.
Growth Of American shipping has
been wholly in the foreign trades"
the Secretary said, "much more than
half Of that growth having taken
place since the armistice on November
IL, 1913, and the increase Of the
past fiscal year being double that
Of any year before the armistice. This
increase in tonnage would mean little
unless it stood also for an increase in
trade"
Quoting from the bureaus statistics
showing an increase Of about 15,00O'
1000 net tons cleared by American
ships in 1920 as against 1914 the
secretary continued: I'm word
while our gross tonnage registered for
foreign trade is tenfold what it was
In 1914, it has supplied in actual
employment in overseas trade IA times
the American cargo and passenger
space available in 1914, though in
the shorter voyages to foreign ports
in North America requiring fewer and
usually smaller ships, the Increase
and the demand-has not been so
great"
In connection with the growth Of
Americon shirping and foreign trade
Mr. Alexander discussed the advis-
ability of charging off TO the winning
of the war" sufficient of the war
cost OF the government owned ships 20
enable them to compete with foreign
shipping on the basis of actual value
of the properties. He advocated this
course on the belief that only through
such action could she ships, built un-
der wartime stress and at wartime
costs, continue to meet the overhead
expenses of maintenance and opera
tion.
"We must be candid with ourselves"
he continued. "The value of the ships
cwned by the government must be
reduced to their actual value for
lcomL Letitive purposes at the present
k'ine and the difference between that
VALUE and the first cost should be
charged to the winning of the war
The interest On thar difference, tine
corresponding contribution TO ;he
|lslnking fund and the correspondents
9ailowance for depreciation will he
treated thus as war losses, and this
surely is preferable to continued
failure to make annual payments on
the account of the merchant marine to
Interest. sinking fund and deprecia-
ton"
Although the nations gross foreign
business was the greatest In its his
tory last year, the secretary expressed
TIE belief that American exporters
would find 1t increasingly difficult"
10 maintain their position in foreign
markets without adequate government
aid and he urged congress 10 provide
for expansion of the foreign at
tachc service and asked for increased
appropriations to be used In the pro-
motion Of foreign trade. For Latin
American trade development, Mr..
Alexander recommended expenditures
of 80 per cent more than was used in
this field last year.
The secretary cited specific achieve
ments OF the departments foreign
staff as proof Of the aid 1t had render.
cd and was rendering American busi-
ness in expanding and increasing its
foreign trade. He declared the ac-
complishments had been marked in
every country and suggested that
congress develop the commercial aid
service apace with the growth and
requirements OF the nations foreign
commerce.
Estimates of appropriations required
for the department Of commerce for
the fiscal year 1929 were placed by the
secretary at $3o,3s3,4sl an increase of
si0.l2l,7l2 over those OF this year.
Cost Of the field work in connec-
ton with the enumeration OF popu-
lation and agriculture for the 1890
9.345 900, consisting of about $780,
900 for enumerators and approximately
.l,G95,000 for salaries and travelling
expenses Of the supervisors and spe-
clal agents, secretary Alexander said
Discussing the work of the bureau
OF lighthouses for the year the sec