The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-07-22

HMBffW1 Usssss not Know about, but all
, the big, essential facts are well
| known Pershing called for a bridge
! of ships, and the late Administration
provided it. Building those ships
| was as strictly military measure rs
! building 30 great environments. or
the construction of ordinances or eX-
plosives Of making uniforms.
But the attempt to use this mill
tary construction for commercial pur
poses is a commercial matter. and Il
the Shipping Boards fleet earned
( $500, 100000 last year and cost
| $3.50, 900, 900 the fault is due TO a
mistaken policy in which both par
ties and both Administrations nave
been involved, but most OF The re-
sponsibility rests upon Mr.. Harding,s
party-and Mr. Harding was in thg
Senate until he became PRESIDENT, ="
A Republican Congress was eject
ed a week before the larmistIce, and
it came into existence more than Two
years agO.It came, into existence
seven months before it was due be
cause the Republican members OF
Congress in the early part OF 1919
violated their official oaths and
struck against passing the appropria-
ton bills. For more than two years
the responsibility for legislation has
rested upon Mr.. Harding's party.
One year ago Mr.. Harding's pa
ty enacted the Jones shipping law. 1t
made no effort to dispose Of the huge
fleet that had been constructed for
war purposes. 1t undertook to con-
tinue it to increase the cost OF it,
and to force employment for it by al
T0gating all cur commercial treaties,
which would have invited every mari
time nation in the world to dscriml-
nate against our vessels. President
wilson refused to assassinate our
merchant marine, and the Republi-
can were furious. Their own Presi-
dent has been in office for more than
four months, and not a Republican
has peeped on the subject OF abrogat-
ing the commercial treaties.
: There may have been waste under
the Shipping Board, perhaps extra |
Yagance, and possibly dishonesty. |
Gut all these things would account |
for avery small part or tl=--s=T
of S3SO.OOO,OOO. The fundamental |
facts are that for 60 or IS years 1t
has been more expensive to operate |
ships under our flag than under for |
eign flags; that our new ships were |
built for a military purpose and
without any regard to commercial
occasion or use for them, and that |
during the past year the shipping |
business all over the world has been |
dull, a large part of the worlds Ship !
ping has been tied up, and III
steamers of the Shipping Board are !
out of commission. Freight rates |
are down; it is not easy to get car
goes both ways, and concerns to
which Shipping Board vessels are al |
lotted will load their own and the
borrowed vessels when cargoes are
abundant. and only their own When |
cargOes are scarce; the Shipping
Board will be the ''ship'6 husband
What lies back of this folly? The
infatuation of a large portion OF the
people for a merchant marine under
the American flag, though foreign
vessels are anxious enough to get
cargOeS in our ports for any part OF
the world This infatuation cost the
country $3.50 100000 last year, and
Will go en- costing huge sums until
the people get rid of it, or the cost
Of building and operating American
vessels comes down very greatly
Philadelphia Record.
The war reduced the French popu-
ON