Arizona republican., 1921-11-07
LIMITING MERCHANT. FLEETS IMPORTANT. PROBLEM OF FARLEY
CHANGED CONDITIONS MAKE MFR CHANT VESSELS JUST AS MUCH IN STRUMENTS OF WAR AS NATIONS POWERFUL EMPHASIZES
By Herbert Corey


 WASHl <ltTON. Nov. Today the q -ited States owns a merchant ma rtne- 1t ERs f.450 steel vessels, of which cne-third are very good in- 1ecs3. cne-t third are fair, and one thlrd are what the cat brought in.
 How much or a merchant marine win the United States have when the arms barley is over?
 That may sound like a foolish question Bat it Is not It is a cer- salntv that in some form or other the oscStioa of limiting the merchant marine fleets of the conferring na- sions win be brought before the arms parlcy. The l.. :. shipping board is now considering this question. Ad- mirs1 r. T. BoDles. one of the Amer fcsa authorities on commarcial ship fsinE. has been placed in charge of the technical examination.
 Need Merchant Fleets in War
 The reason why the national own erShips of merchant fleets are to be considere by the arms barley is pri- narziy that the character of war has changed War is no longer between army and army and fleet and fleet. but between nation and nation A : commercial fleet in time of war is just as much an instrument of war as is a fleet of warships or battle cruisers. Without an effective com mcrcsal fleet today no nation could wage an offensive war.
 Troops and provisions and the mu- niticns of war could not be trans ported. NO nation-not even the United States could afford to main tain in times of peace an effective Eieet Of military transports The United states has maintained such a flect in the past. which has been quite sufficient to its peace time needs. But the outlook is that this feet win De lessened in numbers. It Is too costly for peace time mainten- ! ance.
 We will be fc~ced to what other nations have done" a financial au- thcrity told me some time ago. '.We will rely upon our merchant marine for transports We can do that, for We now have a mercantile marine. Before the war we did not have one
 Potential Vessels of War
 Therefore the limitation of the mercantile marines of the conferring nations Is quite as pertinent a ques- xion for the consideration of the arms barely as is the limitation of the fleets Of war The change in the manner Of making war has also forced a change in the construction cf mercantile vessels. It may be as- SumcS that hereafter practically al vessels will be built with gun plat forms ready for the installation O guns. The delay consequent upoI the installation of these platform: heretofore compelled will be don' away with The commercial vesse 3f the future is a potential vessel o xar.
 The fact that today the Americal mercantile marine is very Iargel. owned by the government has onl. an indirect bearing on the main ques ton. that of the limitation of tn commercial tonnage of the variou nations. It is the intention of tn administration to dispose of all tn government owned vessels to privat individuals or wholly American cam paniss as rapidly as possible. Tn uaercartile tonnage in the possession af the other conferring government tS negligible and will likewise be sol' to individuals as rapidly as possible
 Rpportionment of Tonnage
 Therefore the arms barley will b called upon to decide-or rather I reach an agreement-as to tn amount of tonnage which the variou nations may possess through thei nationals It may be that argument win be presented to the effect tha the United Staes. which has been fo years a non-maritime nation. noN owns more than it's fair share of tn tonnage of the world. It is possibl that a redistribution of tonnage ma fc suggested. Control of future shin building by national license may offered for the consideration of tn conference
 The United States shipping boar is very seriously taking up the mat ter of the ownership of the vessels
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