East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1921-10-08
AMERICAS STABILITY
HINGES on MERCHANT
MARINE, SAYS LA5AE2
Chairman of U. S. Shipping
Board Warns That Surpluses
Are B e in g Amassed.

bert u. LaTker, chairman OF the United
States Shipping Board declared here
today In an address delivered at a
luncheon given BY the Associated Ad
yertising Clubs of the World.
Pleading for national realization for
the need of a merchant marine Mr..
Lasker pointed out four big reasons"
as follows
Vast surpluses are being amassed
in America. Unless goods not needed
in the United States are Immediately
shipped out of the country markets
here win be drugged.
"A drugged market will disrupt
prices, and unstable prices mean un-
stable business.
3-There will he no need to produce
more goods or produce, which will re-
suit in the stoppage Of industry and
the subsequent swelling Of the ranks
Of unemployed.
4-Foreign bottoms cannot be en-
listed to move surplus American ma
terial because foreign nations are
striving for world trade and would not
divert their own materials to make
room for our goods.
Mr. Lasker's address in part follows:
Until there is an awakened con-
sciousness on the part of all citizens
Of America that economic stability is |
dependent on the disposal of our sur !
plus wares and products in world |
markets there can never be an Ameri- |
can merchant marine.
"Whcn surpluses accumulate prices
are demoralized and employment ends
until the excess has been consumed.
Generally speaking, the last 10 per
cent of production makes the market
and it Is this last TO per cent that we
must insure disposal of to customers
{ in foreign lands. Except with a mer-
/ chant marine under our own control
there can be no assurance of these
essential markets.
"Sxteen weeks ago today the pres
/ ent United States Shipping Board
! took the oath Of office and entered
upon the stupendous task assigned it.
"rhe American nation today finds
itself in possession Of a fleet Of 1850
oeoau-going steel shins of approXi-
+ mntely l0,5000O0 dcal-weisht tons,
NOT to mention a fleet of ten fcrro-
concrete vessels Of over 10000 tons,
ana d wooden fleet Of 2S5 ships Of l.
4 600. 900 dead weight tons For practi-
cal purposes we need only consider the
steel fleet, as the concrete and wooden
ships will be eradicated.
80 today we are left with this
great fleet--many times the largest
/ that has ever responded to the orders
Of single owner-and the great ques-
ton that confronts the Shipping
| Poard, the problem toward which all
of it's organizing efforts have, so far,
been directed, is the problem of the
future of its vessels and of America
upon the seas. For in the successful
operation of these vessels lies the im-
i mediate hope of the establishment of
an American merchant marine, and in
an established American merchant
marine lies our only assured hope of
world trade. which means prosperity
ANA happiness for America.
"The Merchant Marine act of 1920,
generally known as the Jones bill, has
as it's preamble of magma charta for
1 America on the seas unsurpassed in
the annals OF our country's legisla
tiuu.
"The Congress that passed this
legislation was thoroughly conVersant
with the handicaps to American ocean
! trade. President Harding was a menu
ber of the committee that framed it,
and none more inspirlngly eo-operated
than he.
ut was the thought and hope of the
trainers of the Jones bill that the APP
| plication of these three major and sew
eral other minor provisions would rem
\ der American tonnage such eX-
\ traneous assistance as to increase their
earning capacity. so as to enable our
merchant marine TO cope with foreign
competition, in spite of its higher ori-
\ ginal cost and subsequent greater cost
" of operations, The existence of these
laws and mandates of the Jonets act
are only the forerunner OF what must
be done to bring their application into
being. Until this time there has noy
existed, as Is wen known, a fully con-
stiWted Shipping Board with the or
/ sanitation to study the application OF