Evening journal., 1921-07-20
nrrlsn nANploAp no 0. 5. AnRoHANr MARINE.

x1psr how far under the Wilson Administration, the
British shipping interests might have gone in their
efforts to drive the American merchant marine from the
seas is an academic question the American exemplar oil
surrender having been reegated to the political discard
But enough has ranspired within the last two years to
indicate 10 Deawareans that the British shipping inter
es are adopting every MEANS fair foul to harass and
handicap our new merchant MARINE and they have Sc
ected time when the eubarrassments TO our shipping
service due 10 Wilson maladmnisraton and criminal
waste Of taxpayers money. were never 80 acute
one Of the first acts Of the British shipping interests
calculated to put merchant marine out OF commits
son was to control OF the oil stations in the Far
East and then refusing TO sell fuel oil 10 American YES
sells.
This necessated the designing Of American ships so
that they could carry sufficient fuel oil TO make lhe
round trip which meant lessening Of cargo space
Last May as many persons in Delaware will recall
Winthrop Marvin president Of the American Steamship
owners Association charged that British spnners and
cotton manufacturers declined TO accept cotton from
Galveston unless it was carried in British ships and under
British insurance THAT kind Of thing is taking place
all the time" asserted Mr. Marvin.
1t was in May that American ships were experiencing
grave difficulties with labor and there is some gossip to
the effect that the British shipping interests were making
OF propaganda 10 encourage the labor strike with
view to holding up our merchant vessels.
Recently the report was made public that the Aexan-
dria Produce Association Of Egypt had turned down an
American bid for carrying Egyptian cotton and awarded
the contract to Liverpool lines, although the bid OF the
Shipping Board for this freight was So per cent lower
than the British bid
OF the sixteen members OF the association, fifteen voted
to award the freight the Shipping Board vessels and
one held against us; and since the rules stipulated
the should be unanimous lost the freight
The Shipping Board agent at Alexandria charges that the
Liverpool interests used undue influence in preventing
an unanimous award.
Last year Woodrow Wilson bitterly criticised for
bis refusal to enforce Section "a OF the Jones eroant
Marine law which authorized the President 10 give due
notice Of our intention terminate certain treaty clauses
pose discriminating customs duties imports entering
in American vessels.
The very purpose OF that section to prevent by re-
prisa II necessary competing marine nations from doing
exactly the things which the British interests now
doing their effort TO cripple merchant marine.
The wholesale condemnation of Section 81 is also said
to have been phase Of British propaganda directed
against American shipping
Great Britain Is displaying lively interest in an sorts
of plans TO bring the two countries closer together
1t suggests the need Of the old his sturdy kins
man.
But II these attempts to cripple American commerce
apt to get farther apart It is suggested that the British
Government might wen oaA the attention of British bus
ness men to this fact
We can get along without Great Britain much better
than she can get along without US.