The Washington herald., 1922-11-29
FEAR Of WAR
HELD AS.0NLY
SUBSIDY BAR
HOMER Ferguson Tells Press
Club That British Power
Is 0nIy> Opposing Reason
CONSIDERS MEASURE VITAL
Says England Always Fought
Nations That Opposed Her
Supremacy on High Seas

"Fear of a war with Great Brit
ain should we dare to cross her
commercial path is the only pos
sible argument against a ship SUBJ
sidy."
This declaration was made, by
Homer Ferguson, president of the
Newport News Shipbuilding Com
pany, in an address to members
of the National Press Club last
night.
CRY FROM ABROAD.
ships and more ships-send ius
more ships" =
This war cry" Ferguson de.
clared, contrasts strangely with
the statement from abroad today:
! Let us build the ships. we have
always built them and it is our
business
For 800 years every nation that
has crossed the path of England
On the seas has had to fight. her.
but in view Of the sacrifices in
ships already under construction
| costing millions Of dollars that
America has scrapped, 1t would be
more becoming if England accepted
the United Stltes as a partner. :.
Ferguson said.
He stressed the necessity of
maintaining a peace-time merchant
marine in order to meet the needs
of war.
NAVAL HOLIDAY.
"A ten-year naval holiday will
be a real holiday unless the ship
yards are given work to do. Men
who have spent their lives at the
art of ship building will pass out
or existence unless they may be
occupied in the ship yards" he
pointed out.
| THE reason for a subsidy" Fer.
guson explained, ''is to allow Ameri-
ca to compete with England AMI
other countries"
COST OF LABOR.
Fifty per cent of the cost of a
ship is labor" he declared and
labor is so per cent cheaper in
Great Britain than in the United
States. This does mean that q
ship costs so per cent more in the
| United States. as much of the diff
ference is overcome by the applica-
ton Of up-to-date methods"
In entering the mercantile marine
business this country Is obliged to
buck the greatest industrial and
commercial machine in the world. a
combination of ship builders, ship
ping corporations, agents and insur-
ance companies in Great Britain,
Ferguson explained.
In introducing Ferguson. Senator
Joseph f. Ransdell, Democrat. of
Louisiana declared that il the
Democrats in Congress succeeded in
defeating the subsidy bill without
supplying something as good to take
its place, the party would lose all
they have gained in the elections
two years hence, and they would
deserve to lose.
PRAISES PRESIDENT.
Senator Ransdell praised the Pres
ident for the stand he has taken
on the ship subsidy bill.
Thomas Jeffersl> would have
indorsed the bill" the Senator de.
clared, ''if he were alive today"
Reviewing the history Of Ameri-
cas- merchant marine. Ferguson
emphasized the fact that not one
American soldier was carried TO
Europe in ship whose keel was
laid after the war started.
"A million and a half soldiers
were transported in British ships,
about a million in ships the Ger
man government left in our hands,
and the remainder went over in
coastwise ships of the United
States" he stated.
"It is Americas birthright to be
able to take its own goods to its
own customers in it's own shins,
and pride alone demands that it
should" Ferguson concluded.
Senator Duncan L. Fletcher of
Florida spoke in opposition to the
bill. favoring the operation of the
ships by the Government.