The New York herald., 1921-10-09
One Way to Keep American Ships Busy
Discriminating Duties of the Jones Act Revive the
Policy Which Built Up Our Old Merchant Marine.

The report that the United States Ship
ping Board is busily engaged In prepar-
Ing report 70 the President recon-
mending that the so-called Jones act
the merchant marine act Of 1s2O-be
put into immediate effect reveals a Pc
culiar situation respecting the status Of
our merchant marine. Section - Of
that act directs the President 70 serve
notice on nations with which we have
terminable trade treaties Of our inten-
tion to free ourselves from the restraint
they impose upon W In reestablishing
the early successful American policy Of
discriminating import duties and ton
mage dues SO as to create q preference
for our ships in foreign trade. The
Jones act was approved by President
Wilson on June 8. 1890. but he refused
to give the notice directed on the ground
that Congress exceeded Its powers in
attempting to direct his action in treaty
matters.
In the Jones act two peculiar points
deserve mention. AS q member Of the
Senate Commerce Committee President
Harding participated in the preparation
Of the measure. In the Senate the bill
was passed almost unanimously. there
being no partisan division. The Ship
ping Board already Is on record by reso-
luton In favor Of an extra 10 per cent.
discriminating customs duty on imports
in foreign vessels. The Shipping Board
plans, It has been said, to discuss the
matter Of It's report on this subject
with the President. the report being pre-
pared at the Presidents request. The
inference Is justifiable that all Of the
parties to this conference are in a
friendly attitude toward the provisions
of the Jones act In general and Section
"a in particular. 1t would be singular
indeed II the upshot did not find the
President convinced that he should giwe
the notices Of modification Of our trade
treaties that President Wilson refused
to give.
The modification of the treaties In
the manner indicated In Section "a would
not put the discriminating duty policy
into immediate effect in my Judgment
because existing laws, notably the act
Of May ~. 1923, would prevent. This
act clothes the President with power to
suspend the collection Of discriminating
duties when he becomes satisfied that
other nations DO not discriminate against
goods in American ships entering their
ports.
The suspension has become general
under provision Of that act. Up to and
including the Underwood tariff act, from
the tariff act Of July 1. 1889. this policy
Of discriminating import duties has In
one form or another been carried: but
its enforcement since 1850 has been sus-
pended, generally speaking, through our
adoption of trade treaties and laws to
that effect. II the Fordney tariff should
be passed as 1t came to the Senate from
the House 1t would not carry--in sus-
pension--these discriminatory shipping
laws.
The need for the restoration Of this.
or some other equally protective, prac-
tical and enduring shipping policy is
that this country cannot build ships in
normal times as cheaply as they arc
built abroad. nor can we run ships as
cheaply as they are operated under for
eign flags. and yet II IL necessary for
the national defence and for the finding.
holding and developing Of foreign mar
kets for our surplus products that we
should possess q merchant marine Of our
own measurably adequate to the carry
Ing Of our foreign commerce.
This country. as I see II, has got to
adopt strong. generously protective
shipping policy for our ships to prosper
and grow In foreign trade. and am