The New York herald., 1921-10-06
Time Spent in orsani.i.s.

'cThe present Shipping Board has
three great responsibilities: First, tho
operation OF the feet which 1t inherited.
pending its sale 10 private owners: Sec
ond, the liquidation Of Its assets. and
third, but far most important of all
the application OF the Jones act" Mr..
Lasker characterized this act as a
Magma Charta for America on the seas
unsurpassed In the annals of our coun-
trys legislatlon."
'That It might devote itself intelli.
gently and inspiredly to the Jones Act.
the first sixteen weeks of the existence
of the present Shipping Board have been
spent In building an organization to
operate tho feet and liQuldate its mate
rials. This. in itself. ID a stupendous
task, but is one which we feel is on the
high road to ultimate accomplishment.
And thus now for the nrst time United
States Shipping Board nnds itself posi-
toned TO study and apply the great
charter given It by the merchant ma
r1ne act Of 1890.
That study and collateral work
necessary to the same must perforce
occupy q considerable span OF time.
But 81 In the next sixteen weeks tho
Shipping Board can make ~ much
progress In this greater problem of
the study ana application OF the Jones
Act as II has made in the past sixteen
weeks IN the operation and liquidation
Of its physical assets. It Will have ac-
complishcd what its most ardent we'll
wishers dared not hope for. Seemingly
insurmountable obstacles must be met.
"There arc those who. for myriad
reasons. do not wish the status quo
changed. Unfortunately, there are pos
sibly American owners who, feeiinS Sc
cure IN conditions as they exist ana
which have Injured and can inure to the
benefit only Of few. OF whom tney
| form part. selfshiy cannot sec un-
biassediy the greater picture OF q greater
American merchant marine ana are
ioath to aid In bringing ABOUT any
greatly changed conditions
OBVIOUSLY, We cannot gain trade on
the seas without displacing the existing
trade cnjoyed by foreign ships. Ano
these foreigners are ever at Work. 81
lently but surely. In their own ,nationai
interest. for which We cannot blame
them, to undermine the possibility OF an
4, American merchant marine The Jones
bill must be given life by the present
board. These hostile forces from within
and without sowing seeds OF discord and
distrust, must be met and vanQuished or
| America will perish from the oceans and
be confined in carrying trade to within
It's own borders.
"Ssicls an accomplishment cannot Dc
realized, as President Harding has said.
by the waving Of magic wand Those
who are truly interested In the winning
Of the seas to America. In their impa-
tiencc are crying aloud for results faster
| than they can be brought about. and un-
Willingly are the aiders and abettors to
those who would destroy the possibility
Of an American merchant marine.
THE Shipping Board. inhcritors of
war built business. with all its conse-
quent weaknesses: the Shipping Board.
with all the opportunities for statesman
ship which have been put on II by tho
, Jones Act begs the patient indulgence
OF the country wtJile Il does the founda-
| tion work necessary 70 bring the Jones
| Act into life. And II that confidence Is
lacking or II impatience from any quar-
ter does not give opportunity to the Ship
| ping Board to build truly and soundly.
then II Americas economic life on tho
seas for the next generation dark indeed.
| Tor America, self-contained and self
sufficient while Il was conquering an
| empire OF magic wealth. hnds itself now
approaching the time Of vast surpluscs
which must be sent out into the lands OF
| the worlds beyond the seas n employ
mcnt at home and maintenance and
stabiiisation Of domestic prices are to
exist. We cannot rely on foreign bot
toms to carry this surplus for the for
egn bottoms necessarily are owned by
those nations which have the foreign
trade. and when they and 0ur compcfi-