Evening star., 1921-10-18
Editorial Digest
An American Merchant Marine?

When Chairman Lasker, in his first
pubic address since becoming chair
man of the Shipping Board. an
nounced that the future preoccupa-
tions of the board would concern
themselves with studying and apply
ing "the great charter given it by
the merchant marine act of 1920, COM
monty known as the Jones act" he
awakened echoes irom the press that
recall time-honored congressional de-
bates on ship subsidies, which at in
tervals have ragged through many
pages of the Congressional Record.
Assuming that he speaks with the
executive who called him to his Of
fee" says the Philadelphia Bulletin
independent republican,, that an
Eouncement is of prime Importance.
1t means that a leaf Is to be taken
out of the book of American devel-
opment. and that the policy of protec-
tion for struggling American enter
prise against powerful foreign COM
petition, is to be applied in the build
ing UP of an American merchant ma
rine." That this spells subsidy would
seem to be confirmed by the observa-
tion of the Philadelphia Record
(democraD TO the effect that "Mr.
Lasker recognizes the lower costs of
operating vessels under foreign flags,
and says we must overcome that diff
ference. When asked If he was pro-
posing subsidies, he evaded a reply"
Developing the subject further, the
Record says:
we 'perished from the ocean be-
cause we could make better money on
shore. Probably we still can, and, II
that be so. we might as well leave
the shipping business in the foreign
hands. where it has been for the most
part of sixty years. This is purely
business matter. 1t hasn't anything
to do with patriotism. A freight train
is just as patriotic as steamship.
The South Bend Ind.) Tribune On
dependent republican,, on the other
hand. is assured that America wants
her flag on the seas"
I'VE want our goods carried in our
own bottoms" it says. but we do not
want the government owning ana
operating that marine.
at is a problem" in the opinion OF
the Ann Arbor Times News inde-
pendenD, (which reduced to its SIM
plest terms means that the Cnited
States government can control the
freight rates charged by American
charged by ships flying foreign
flag" and adds that the stumbling
block" in the La Toilette seaman s
act undoubtedly could be removed,
Giving the Jones law life is sun
a question for debate" in the eau
tious view of the Buffalo Express
(republican, although it may be
that President Harding will accede
to the wishes of the shipping experts
and Will abrogate the comEierclai
treaties which are preventing lhe en-
actment of discriminatory duties IN
favor of goods exported and imported
through American ports IN American
vessels" a prospect which moves the
Norfolk Virginian-Pilot (democrat'cl
to remark on the unhapplness OF
the administration that has 10 MT lts
program at one and the same time TO
the myopic vision of Congressman
Fordney and the telescope outlook or
Albert d. Lasker." Following up It's
argument. this paper thinks that pc
fore foreign business is resumed we
our exports" The New York Times
Gndependent democratic) brings up
Benjamin Franklin's theory of for,
eign trade policy, which "oulo
eschew 'burthensome preferences
which are usually sources OF debate
embarrassment and discomfort In
pursuance of that policy our govern
ment has negotiated forty treaties OF
reciprocity Most of them are still
in force. and it is proposed to de-
nounce twenty-seven of them in sup
port of an insolvent and desperate
governments do? Would they imi-
tate us?" For Chairman Lasker and
his colleagues to assert thinks the
New York Tribune (republican). that
the only hope of restoring YANKEE
shippinr to deep water lies in the
Jones act is not enough. They Will
have to demonstrate this.
AS to Chairman Lasker's assertion
that foreigners are ever AT work
with n purpose ito undermine the
possibility Of an American merchant
marine" the New York Tribune Gre
publican) states that the chairman
should seize the first opportunity to
make known the identity of these
hostile forces" The New York
World (democratic). however. holds
that the worlds trade is not a hNed
quantity. over which the nations must
souabbIe to the end of time. There
is as much trade as the merchants
and captains of the earth have the
pluck and ingenuity to build up