The New York herald., 1921-11-19
LASKER URGES GROUP
ACTION IN SHIPPING
Tells Naval Architects and
Engineers 1t Is the Only
Hope for Americans.
USED BY COMPETITORS
Ship Owners Have to Get
Help of Bankers and
Manufacturers.
USED BY COMPETITORS

Architects and Marine Engineers at
their annual dinner in the Waldorf
Astoria Hotel last night that the rem
edy for the ills OF American shipping
lies in the retirement of the Govern
ment as an owning and operating fac
tor and the birth of an inspired inter-
est for group action among bankers
and manufacturers as we'll as among
shipowners.
THE Edge law in constructive
craftsmanship, said Mr.. Lasker, pro
vides for such combinations among
manufacturers in the foreign trade
In time such groups should be a bull
wark for our merchant marine. To-
day transportation is available at
nearly pre-war rates. In quantity far
more is waiting to the exporters hand
than existed before the war. Cheap
and plentiful ocean carriage is as
sured. The development of markets
awaits the united effort Of shipowner
Government that has adopted the
motto Of more business in government
and less government in business.
A somewhat similar idea was voiced
at the earlier meeting by Winthrop L.
Marvin, vice-president and general
manager of the American Steamship
Owners Association.
Plan Advanced by Owner.
He summed up his programme for
American merchant shipping in this
manner:
!. Find the most practicable form
or equalizing American sea wages
and costs of maintenance with the
wages and ma ntenance of foreign
ships by a system Of preferential
duties or subsidies and subventons
or some still more effective method
If that can be found.
2. Organize American manufacture
ers, merchants and bankers into a
league as disciplined and powerful
as the similar British league for Sc
curing the carriage of greater
share of our imports and exports in
American ships.
8. Offset foreign subsidies subven-
tions, bounties and like national as
sstahce given to the ships of our
competitors.
the first cost of American built ships
Is greater than the first cost Of for
eign built ships there must be full
compensation for this factor also
These things must all be done of the
new American fleet. which Is even
now being beaten off the ocean by it's
competitors, will inevitably again de-
cline and disappear exactly as the
old merchant marine was declining
from 1856 onward
Mr. Lasker told the society that pri-
vate ownership and private initiative
may CONQUER the obstacles.
Handicap of American ships.
To-day he said, this country finds
between one-third and one-fourth of the
privately owned vessels Of its fleet and
two-thirds of its Government owned fleet
idle. Failing freight rates have again
stressed all OF the disadvantages under
which American ships must operate in
competition with their rivals. Greater
carrying charges. due to higher first cost,
higher bills for wages and for living
expenses, greater upkeep cost, higher
insurance and more stringent govern
ment laws have all made the lot ot the
American shipowner a conspicuoGsly un-
happy one in a market where the ship
owners of the entire world are crying out
for better times
TN measure, the decrease in American
tonnage carrying in American ships Ia
due to the difficult economic times the
world throughout, which make for keen
competition by other nations which
America. with fits standard of living
cannot meet. IN measure, but very small
measure, this condition is due to the
Governments retirement, under the
present Shipping Board of many trips so
Cnprofitable as to find no warrant even
with View to building up for the
future"
Mr.. Laslser called attention to the fact
that the great north Atlantic and Pacific
trade routes. so far as passenger SER
vice Is concerned, arc In the hands OF
few strong foreign groups.
Germany. with all it's efforts be-
tween the wars of 1870 and 1914" he
said, was able to build up in the north
Atlantic only two strong companies.
Great Britain, with hundreds of yeas on
the seas. has but two major passenger
carrying lines In the north Atlantic. 1t
Is this competition that we must meet,
and we must meet 1t in kind. This In no
wise means that the small operator
and the new operator of many types or
ships shall not be encouraged. Indeed,
he viii be fostered to the utmost by the
Government. But It does mean that we
must interest all the strength OF our
people, not only Government, but private
concerns and individuals"
T.. c. Plummer of Washington, q
member OF the Shipping Board, also
spoke at the dinner. He urged tho
necessity of Government aid for ship
operating and owning concerns and de-
clared that unless this were done the
American merchant marine would never
reach it's rightful place
Some political somnambullsts have
argued. and few still argue rs IL 1t
were an open question:" said Mr.. Plum
ner. "thc proposition Of whether our
Government should aid its merchant
shipping. This chatter should have been
ended long ago. Every nation that has
achieved success upon the ocean has
achieved IL by giving direct and power
ful assistance to it's shipping. The
record is completely unbrolen and un-
ohalongabIe on this point.
Perhaps It is because these people
have come to realize the hopelessness OF
any attempt TO destroy our shipping by
cTrect assault that some of them now
seek to accomplish the same end by
dstracting attention from the real issue
through citing changes in laws and rules
which unquestonably have n material
effect upon our merchant marine. and
hy procaiming wonders that American
genius will some time perform. But this
s no time TO lose sight OF the main and
absolutely essential fact that by Govern
u1eut aid alone can American shipping
remain in the foreign trade"