New-York tribune., 1921-02-06

tCSntnusd frem page one)
than British seamen? This may seem
small matter, but it is the difference
between profit and loss.
"Unless the government keeps out Of
trade in which the companies are en-
gagged, unless it readjusts the prices of
vessels purchased from the Shipping
Board, and unless it either reverses the
regulations or grants an indirect or a
direct subsidy, the companies will not
bs able to absorb the government ton
mage, and there will be no merchant
marine
One of the diners asked Mr.. Harri-
man what effect he thought prohibit
tion of liquors on American passen-
ger ships would have.
I'VE won't have any passenger ships"
he replied, 'if they are subjected to re-
strictions that are not applicable to
foreign ships"
Admiral Benson, the first speaker,
dress, so did not hear Mr.. Hartman g
criticisms OF his boards policies.
Must Maintain Trade Routes
at is absolutely necessary" said
the admiral, "for awhile that the gov
ernment control or at least supervise
the operation of the merchant marine
in order that the trade routes may be
maintained. This must be done even
though the expense he greater than the
earnings. The law compels maintenance
of trade routes until they are definitely
proved improbable"
The Admiral made it plain that a
privately owned and operated merchant
marine was the ultimate end in view
and that the Shipping Board had nc
thought other than to bring this about
as soon as it codld be safely done.
ALLEGATION of Shipping Board vessels
TO inefficient operators during the. war
IS one OF the evils the board is deter
mined to correct, he declared, by elm
| mating all those incapable of running
the ships to the advantage Of the coun-
try's commerce.
Facilities for handling freight are
| deficient in nearly ali our ports" the
Admiral resumed. 81 have been criti,
cized for my structures on New York
Harbor. But say again that the
facilities here are not good. They are
bad, very poor. They are a disgra ce
to the country. No pier in New York
not even the new army piers, is
equipped with all the modern appli-
ances for handling cargoes. The profit
from shipping lies in q quick turn
around. Some of the charges for
wharfage here are enormous. l had
recently called to my attention the
case of a ship here that it cost $4,000
TO unload and load.
Freight Rate Slump
"The tremendous slump III freight
rates" Admiral Benson asserted. sis
due to our merchant marine. If it were
/ not in existence you would be paving
rates from 200 TO 800 per cent highe er
than at present. It is worth all it has
cost and would be even if we were not
moving ship. For without our mer-
chant marine the foreign interests
would inevitably have got together and
raised rates TO the limit"
Mr.; Vanderlip used the topic of the
merchant marine as q vehicle for a
plea for more intimate relations be-
tween the United States and the rest
OF the world.
I'VE cannot reach the sum total OF
foreign trade" ne said, "unless we look
across our own borders to the economic
necessities of other people. The mere
thought of selling is not really seeing
foreign trade. You can't sell unless
you have customers that can pay. You
cannot be prosperous unless your Gus
toners are prosperous. l suppose we
could have a sort of Chinese country
here and wall ourselves in and be pros
porous after fashion, But it would be
sad kind of prosperity.
What we need is q broad d-minded
citizenship that will not resort TO short
sighted selishness. I don't mind self
ishness, but want an intelligent self
ishness that will not undermine itself. "