The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-04
Encouragement Of Our OuUn Marine Is Fully Prouided
 For in the Con stitution
By LEWIS NIXON

lSh ShlpplnB was carrying over 70 per cent of our trade, but under these laws, strengthened and bettered from time to time, this proportion was re- versed by 1872.
 Until 1872 our average favorable foreign balance per year due to ship ping, insurance, banking and passen- ger traffic was not less than $50, 1000, 900.
 The annual drain of gold due to de- pendence upon foreign shipping, be- fore the late war in excess of $30O,- 100000, must be taken into account and added as an import; for balances of trade not taking into account trans portation charges, are as mi sleading as those of a shop which omits It's de- livery charges from it's statements.
 Then the war of 1872, purposely forced to check our maritime growth, was fought. In 1915, as the price or peace, we abandoned discrimination in the direct trade, or trade to or from another country entirely in the shlps of the two countries concerned.
 But the crowning act of unwisdom and national betrayal was when we, IT 1928, threw open our indirect trade tc favored nations.
 In these favored nation conventions we abandoned possibilities Of prefer ence for our own vessels, holding un- der the limitations of our constitu- tional form of government and our II. vals then used means of driving. our flag from the ocean which we were powerless to meet.
 These commercial conventions are terminable after certain periods, when it was accepted and considered equit able that one or the other might wish a change, just as with the lease of a house.
 oh, fa-- imitation in our own interest we hear of a cry of betrayal of treaty faith. These conventions are business agree ments unlike a treaty of peace and amity which naturally is expected to continue. At any rate they have suc- ceeded in killing off that application of regulation of commerce which served us so well. Every such con- vention should be terminated and re- drawn in a way to protect our own in terests. Other countries can look out for their own interests. It is time that charity should begin at home and not abroad. The Jones act calls for re- vision of these conventions, but in this respect was nullified by executive ac- ton.
 As result of abandoning preference for our own vessels, there was con stant decline in the proportion of our trade carried in our ships, from 92M per cent in 1926, to about s per cent in 1914. .tt
 Due to Many Causes Of course the losses due to our Civil war, the change from wood to iron and from sails to steam, discrimination against our shipping by foreign in- surahce and rating companies. the bonded warehouse giving credit for duties, contracts for advance charters, foreign shipping conferences, trusts, pools and combines and payments ag- gregating millions annually to support their marines, have supplemented this betrayal by our national legislators of duty enjoined by the constitution and their oath of office to support it's provisions.
 Our foreign rivals have no fear of subsidies. What they fear and aim to prevent is return to the preference that has been proven in effectiveness by the logic of successful application. They have no fear of subsidies as they know that competition on the ocean does not secure business, but, knowing the unpopularity of the word, they call helpful constitutional regula- ton Subsidy" to enlist such prejudice against it.
 Preference at Market Rates Proper regulation gives preference at market rates and tends to drive trade to our ships; subsidies must cut rates without certainty of preference. In many cases the disposition and price received by the producer are fixed by the carrier, so essentially nec- essary are trade connections and dis tributing agencies ito the great mari time fleets of the present day, and, of course, such powers are used in every possible way to advance the material interests of the country of their flag.
 But if constitutional regulation of commerce is to be adopted, we must adopt not only the policies of Jeffer- son for such regulation, but so great is our prostration that supreme effort l Is required to rehabilitate our mer- chant marine, and hence constructive craftsmanship must utilize policies broadened along similar lines to utilize possibilities of preference not available in JeffersonS time.
 Preference in the free use by our vessels of our Panama canal certainly squares with the preference of our early laws.
 In Line With Constitution Thus discriminating duties offering lower duties or no duties on goods brought in American vessels, differen- tial tonnage taxes, offering lower taxes on American vessels and dis- eliminating tolls, offering lower tolls or no tolls on American vessels are certainly in line with the constitu- tional regulations as so. successfully carried out by our early statesmen We have control of the canal we prescribe rules for it's impartial bell ligerent use and then are secure in the exercise of the rights incident to con- struction, with full power to use the canal to our advantage just as every nation in the world would do. am prepared to go a step further and say that while under our favored nation treaties. we shall in general &C., cord equal tolls to the vessels of other nations. There is nothing in inter- tional law, precedents or treaties to prevent our making reciprocal conces- sions to other nations, when so minded. No one can read the Hay-Paunce- fote treaty with care and deny our full right to remit tolls on our own vessels. No one can deny that such policy is constitution regulation of commerce.. No one can deny that such remission would be tremendous aid to our shipping nor that our shipping needs aid
 The United States has an investment of billions in ships. Shall we make such fleet junk pile or source of national wealth and power? These short articles attempt to con- dense in few words investigation and study of lifetime. If any one has doubt as to conclusions, question ad- dressed to the editor of The Age Herald will be answered fully.
 
 INDoRsE HOOVER PROPOSAL By Associated Press
 Washington. June 3.-Representa- tives of trade associations assured Secretary Hoover in a conference to- | do ioh ha af hr,u