New-York tribune., 1920-12-22


There are those who sincerely be-
lieve that, if this nation cannot build
the merchant ships it requires as
che&ply as they can be built in other
countries, we should freely open our
registry to foreign-built ships; and
other people believe that if, with Amer
ican citizens, we G. mot officer and man
and run our ships as cheaply as other
nations run their ships, we should en-
ploy the cheapest labor We cn obtain
Chinese, Japanese or Lascars Not
ecessarlly@a large, but an influential,
class of Americans are ready 10 de-
termlne definitely whether or not we
should have q real American merchant
marine on the one consideration
whether or not we can build and oper-
ate 1t as cheaply a. do our rivals.
Not Mere Economic Problem
Some people affect to believe the
shipping problem Is q wholly economic
problem and should oe decided as such.
Despite the teachings OF the late war
and of all previous wars, which have
demonstrated the necessity of merchant
ships for every conceivable kind Of
military and naval auxiliary need. if
an american merchant marine is a
dearer or more costly marine than are
the foreign marines willing to do our
carrying, great many Americans
would say let US hire our ocean carry
ing done by the cheaper aliens.
Needless to say, the aliens are very
willing indeed to relieve the United
States Of the expensive business O
carrying its imports and exports. How
ever costly it may prove, there are
aliens willing to bear the burden" Of
dong this work for US. AS incidents
OF bearing such burden they VIII be
able to erect and equip great ship
yards, alike useful for building war
as well as merchant ships; their mer-
chants will become familiar with the
requirements Of foreign nations there
by IN a very cheap way; the earnings
OF the ships, singular as ii may seem.
! VIII be welcome addition TO the "in-
visible" income of maritime nations,
and the training Of seaiarers. who Will
be available when needed for all Of
the auxiliary military and naval re-
quirements Of these maritime nations,
vii seem to these people q return suf-
flclent for the cost
history has proved that the great
nations of the past were the maritime
nations; the dominant nations have
oeen the greatest maritime nations;
ene most successful seafarers have
proved to be the most successful
traders, and their influence in the af
falrs Of the world, as a rule. has been
dominant largely through the pos
session OF OF the concomitants that
20 u make up thorOUghgoiuc sea.
4afihg nation To reach such a goal
;nls country must build its own ships,
is own cltizens must own and oparate
/ these ships, it's own men must officer
and man them. Then the earnings Of
the ships will come back to us-to
pay Tor our shipyards, to strenFthen
Us where curing the half century pre-
ceulng the late war we were SO woe
Iuliy and perloUsly weak.
Shipping as Protection
The participation Of the United
/ states IN the late war led to the loss
/ OF a hundred thousand Of our Young
men, the very fewer of our race Il
cost US $4,000 600 600 in money actu-
+ ally dlsbursed and 100000 .O00 to
/ Sl3'5OO 100000 more ii money loaned.
( the repayment of VIII ch is nebulous
/ possibility, but by no means an assured
! probabllity. | say this because, if we
had been the efficient maritime power
that we should have been, such a mari-
tune nation as Great Britain was. the
Germans would have exercised the verv
greatest care IN avoiding the molesta-
ton or injury Of our ships and our
people.
1t was our maritime impotency that
cmooldened the Germans 10 think that
we could not retaliate; they mlsinter-
preted our ability; but, had the Ger
mans known hat we possessed in
I abundance the means to land capable
army on the soil Of France, German
treatment Of eur ships and our citizens
would have been such that We would
( have had no need to declare VIZ
against her. Looking at the matter
: from this rational and logical point Of
view. we may say that our maritime
weakness preceding our advent INTO the
late war has cost us in money all the
way from $4,000 100000 to S38000.-
600 600. depending upon how you look
upon the possibility Of our having our
/ loans repaid
Such colossal sum as that would
give to the United States "a tidy mer-
chant marine and maintain it for q'.itc
a while against ali comers SO whcn
we reckon the cost of merchant ma