The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-08-16
Merchant Marine

THE latest grapevine report from the Hill is
that the tariff bill will probably go to
the regular session and then not reach the Senate
floor until after January I. The whirlygig of time
brings strange developments. 1t was the general
feeling only four months ago that tariff revi-
sion Of equal importance with tax revision and,
on the whole easier job. 1t is probably just as
we'll that it given first place by the pull of a
straw.
This gave time for the development OF the
campaign to reduce governmental expenses; to give
this a tone of seriousness and to cinch it by the
matter-of-fact, plain-spoken, nonpotcal statement
OF the Secretary OF the Treasury to the financial
situation. Just how to save 5000, 900 900 may not
yet be settled but it settled that it must be saved.
What has gone before through the efforts of Gen.
Dawes has also demonstrated that about $Ioo ooo,-
600 is the limit of all that be expected from ad
ministrative economies that would not in fact be
extravagances.
This would seem to leave but two main sources
OF acknowledgements and merchant marine.
The final decision has immensely simplihed tax
revision 1t is not such task to reduce taxes, as
to shift them. Moreover it is harder to pay taxes
this year than last and this is true everywhere. 1t
is as true in Great Britain and Japan as here. No
one is making as much with which to pay and the
same amount of money represents more in value,
in other things.
1t is being discovered also, that merchant ma
rine has quite intimate relations with tariffs and
the foreign debt. Whether it is wise to have the
greatest merchant marine is no longer taken for
granted 1t was born of that same national aspir
alton, that same sort of mental mirage, that gave
birth to the greatest navy. 1t was concomitant
of maybe overinfated national ego. Anyway,
doubts are creeping in to whether or not it
might not be wiser to have a merchant marine only
large enough to act as regulator of ocean rates.
The present marine not a growth; it
sprang into the world full fedged 1t came to
country -unprepared to make use OF it. 1t did not
fit in; it overlapped. 1t is unwieldy for a people
who do not know ships; who have not thought
ships and who have not grown up in the business.
1t has been immensely expensive and there seems
no immediate prospect of its being anything else.
This country will go back to the prewar
dition when at the mercy of foreign controlled ma
rine transportation 1t will always from now, have
at least competitive service which will control
rates. - ..-s' -, = '~....as..
But with this comes the query: why more? If
there is to be almost prohbitive tariff why also
undertake to absorb the ocean ship service? There
is other way, besides in goods, in which Europe
can pay the interest on the debt TO this country,
and at most the interest is all which can be ex-
pected. This other way is in service. The chief
service is ocean carrying. 1t was reckoned that
before the war, this country paid freight vessel
companies from $2oo,ooo,ooo to S3oo,oooooo in
ocean freights and passenger fares That is tidy
sum even now. If goods are to be kept out,
should ships also be kept out? Would it not be
wise to let Europe pay a part of the interest on
debts in this .service1