The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-10-10

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Dispatch to The Reformer)
Copyright 1927.
WASHINGTON. Oct. 10.-Presidcnt
Harding and his cabinet have just
tackled the biggest and most far-reaching
problem of the Notwithstanding
| that relates to unemployment, more mar
kets for agricultural products. limitation
of armament and international relations
| 1t is the question of a merchant marine
| Two hours of discussion in the cabinet
led to no conclusion except a determina-
ton to thresh the whole thing out further
at tomorrowS meeting.
The big question being considered is
whether the Harding administration shall
take step feared by preceding adminis-
trationS, but nevertheless pointed out as
| the only solution. namely. direct subsidy
Of American ships.
Chairman Albert Lasker has gone at the
whole problem with characteristic vlgor
and has made report to President Hard
ing outlining the alternatives before the
American government. He has shown
how this is the critical moment and how
America stands at the parting of the
ways-either she will lose her chance to
build merchant marine or she will avail
herself of a golden opportunity to gather
in trade around the world for the benefit
of the American farmer and manufac-
turer.
Confidence in Laskcr.
Mr. Iaskpr has the confidence not only
of the President but his associates. He
foreSaw the failure of the United States
T91 0F1I ha Slai hgI
been operating for the shipping board.
later being vndicated absolutely in the
opinion Of Mr.. Harding by the collapse
Of the company. That has only served to
accentuate the necessity Of making it pos
sible for American concerns to compete
on the seas with ships flying a foreign
flag.
Briefly. it has been cOntended that the
La Toilette seamen's act. with its high
scale of wages. made it impossible for
American firms to sail ships as econOmi.
cally as those Of other countries Deficits
have arisen from other sources. The QueS-
ton is not the same. however. as it was
in peace-time-before 1914-when it
amounted merely to a subsidy to Amer-
can enterprises. Now. the government
here owns vast number of ships What
shall it do with them: Shall they be sold
at ridiculouSly low prices at time when
the price of tonnage * at its lowest point
and even then leave American shipping
concerns to founder for themselves in the
face of conditions of competition that are
prevailing or shall the government enter
into sort of partnership with private
enterprises. paying a subsidy for mail de
livery and other items in order to develop
routes to parts of the world hitherto UNI
touched by the American trades?
Problem Is National
Mr. LaSker insists that the problem is
national. not sectional. that it interests
the miner in Arizona as well as the farmer
in Kansas. He made a significant speech
in New York last week on these points
That speech was gone OYER by the Presi-
dent before it was released to the press
The farming interests have heretofore
blocked grant of subsidy. They have
not seen the close relationship between
merchant marine and Il market for their
surplus goods Now that the farmers are
appealing to the Harding administration
to grant them a direct subsidy in the
financing of domestic movement of crops
as we'll as the handling of export trade, |
the Harding administration is inclined to
believe the agricultural interests of the
country will support Il subsidy plan
which Will guarantee America n merchant
marine in the days when business will
have revived and ships viii again be in |
demand. In other words. the cutlery of !
the FARMER against hlgh railroad rates |
can at least be answered through our gov !
ernmental machinery but if America must
rely on foreign ships to carry her goods |
there will be no way to overcome the
arbitrary freight rates imposed by ship |
owners of other nations 1t might be too |
late then to try to build merchant ma |
rine.
Merchant Marine Behind Navy.
Another phase of the whole question is |
that which touches our foreign relations. |
The big powers gathering here for a CON |