The Alaska daily empire., 1920-01-16
THE FUTURE OF OUR MERCHANT
 MARINE

The return Of normal competition in shlppin and Americas new prominence in world com"erc make the operation of our War-bullt merchahC ice an important problem in our national policy, the Ma tonal Bank of Commerce in New York declare ln th Januarv iesue of it's magazine, Commerce Monthly Despite our lack of experience in international shp ping there is an evident determination to deVelo our maritime opportunities instead Of depending o other nations as in the past
 Such development is possible for this country the bank believes only if merchant fleet is pr vately owned and operated, and if the restriction of our present maritime laws which cripple Amer can shippers in competition with other nations ar removed.
 "It is generally recognized that the per manent development of merchant marine can best be accomplished through private ownership and operation, Commerce Month ly says. "Competition in the field or over seas trade in normal times, on the economic basis of profit from services rendered, de- mands a measure of individual initiative, freedom of judgment and breadth of eXper- fence that cannot be had under government control
 on which new capital may be made avail able for the development of our merchant marine is the prospect of earning reason able returns on the investment Before broad field of investment can be made avail able to the shipping industry, however the quality and security of ship mortgages, which subject to a variety of prlof liens, must be improved and standardized Furthermore, to assure American shipping more nearly equal basis of competition with foreign shipping, some modification Of re- strictions imposed by our navigation laws, which tend to increase unduy the relative cost of operation, may well be considered.
 "As for governmental assistance in the development of merchant marine, the United States has followed the policy of granting general bounties subsidies on either construction operation. It must be understood however, thai the coastwtse trade of the United States has been reserved exclusively to American-but ships orerat~ Ing under the American flag. During the the exclusion Of foreign shipping from coastwise trade was suspended under q system of Shipping Board permits, but it again becomes effective after the conclusion of peace. The significance of our coastwse shipping in the development of a merchant marine is often overlooked. In 1914, the American tonnage in forengn trade was hardly than million gross tons but the tonnage in the coast trade totalled GA millions. Our total tonnage much less than that of Great Britain, but exceeded the tonnage of any other country. This coastwse marine forms nucleus of inter- est, shipping experience and capital invest in developing a permanent ocean-going merchant marine under the American flag
 With the restoration of requisitioned tonnage to private control, and the em pigment of government t-owned shipping in peaceful activities the American marine has become more important in the move of oceanb borne commerce. Whereas, in 1914, S.2 per cent. in value of the ports of the United States carried in american bottoms, during the present year there has been steady increase in the percentage of exports caarried, from 23.3 per cent. in January to 45 per cent. in September"