Evening star., 1922-02-28
Continued from First Page.)


material for them was given PRIOR
ity over arms and munitions. There
was the call for ships, and ships,
and yet more ships, and we en-
larged old yards and established
new ones without counting the cost.
We builded madly. extravagantiy'
impractically. and yet miraculously,
but We met a pressing neeo anu
performed a great service.
A people Indifferent to the vital
necessity of merchant marine 10
the national defense ungrudging-a >
ly expended at five times the cost
of normal construction, and appro-
priated billions where mlliions
had been denied before. we ac-
quired vast tonnage. Some of 1t.
much of it. is suited to the peace
service of expanded commerce.
Some of it. much of 1t. may De
charged to the errors and extrava-
gances of wartime anxiety ana
haste. The war program. and that
completion of contracts which foi-
lowed because such a course
seemed best to those then charged
with responsibility. gave US some-
thing more than 100000 gross
tonnage, not counting the folly OF
the wood construction. at q totai
outlay of approximately three ana
one-half billions of dollars.
Vast Tonnage for Cargo.
We thus became possessed OF
the vehicles, of a great merchant
marine. Not all of it was prac-
tical for use in the transoceanic
trades; little of 1t was built for
the speed which gives the coveted
class to outstanding service. But
here was vast tonnage for cargo
service, and the government. in
the exceptional call of commerce
which Immediately followed the
war. sought the establishment OF
shipping lines in every direction
calculated to enhance our foreign
trade and further cement our
friendly relations.
The movement lacked in most
cases that inherent essential 70
success which is found In 1nol-
vidual initiative. 1t was rather
government experiment, where
lines were established in high
hope and little assurance. because
the public Treasury was to Dear
the burden. There was the mere
suggestion of private enterprise,
inasmuch as ALLEGATIONS and char
tiers were made under which pri-
vate management was to share IN
profits and private interests were
paid to make the experiment,
though the government was to
bear all the losses. / forbear the
detailed recital. The mfsadven-
ture was so unfortunate that when
the present administration came
into responsibility the losses We're
approximately s16,000,000 month.
and to the cost of failure was
added the humiliation of ships Ii
beled in foreign ports.
In spite of all the later losses in
operation, however, 1t is quite be-
yond question that our abundance
of American tonnage was mainly
responsible for our ability to share
in the good fortunes of world
diately following the war. In all
probability the losses we have
sustained in our shipping actiyi-
ties were fully compensated to the
American people in the saving of
ocean freights in that period.
Conviction Of Failure.
Today we are possessed Of vast
tonnage. large and very costly ex-
perience, and the conviction of
failure. 1t is fair to say that
mistaken policy. was made more
difficult by the unparalleled slump
in shipping which came late in
1920 and prevailed throughout the
year so recently closed. 1t was the
Inevitable reflex of the readjust-
ments, which follow a great war.
and there were heavy losses In op-
erations, which had to be met by
ng--stablished and heretofore
successful shipping lines. and
ships built at top war costs took
the slump in prices below the nor
NAL levels of peace.
But we have our ships. the Sec
oEo largest tonnage in the world,
and We have the aspiration. aye.
let me say, the determination, to
establish a merchant marine COM
mensurate with our commercial
Importance. Our problem is to turn
the ships and our experience and
aspirations into the effective de-
velopm-nt. Of an ocean-going ship
ping service without which there
can De no assurance of maintained
commercial emfnence. without
which any future conflict at arms
will send Us building again, wildly
and extravagantly.. when the prop
er concern for this necessary
agency of commerce in peace will
be our guaranty Of defense in case
that peace is disturbed.
Out of the story of the making
of great merchant marines and
out of our own experience we
ought to find the practical solu-
tion. Happily we are less provin-
cial than we once were, happily
we have come to know how in
seperable are our varied interests.
Nobody pretends any longer that
shipping is a matter of concern
only to the ports involved. Com
merce on the seas is quite as vital
to the great interior as it is to
our coast territory, east. south, or
west. Shipping is no more sec
tional interest than is agriculture
or manufacturing. No one of them
can be prospered alone.
Fnrsight in Waterway Plan.
tion of this broadened vision in the
enthusiasm of the great middle
west for the proposed Great Lakes
st. Lawrence waterway, by which
it is intended to connect the Great
Lakes ports with the marts of the
world. There is far-seeing vision in
the proposal, and this great and
ing your favorable consideration,
is inseparable from a great mer-
chant marine.
What. then, is our problem? I
bring to you the suggestions which
have resulted from a comprehen-
sive study which are recommended
to me by every member of the
United States Shipping Board. 1t
is program of direct and indi-
rect aid to shipping to be conduct
ed by private enterprise. 1t is pro-
posed to, apply generally the bene-
fits which it was designed to de-
rive from discriminating duties to
all ships engaged in foreign COM
merce. with such limitation on re-
enumeration as will challenge every
charge of promoting special In
terests at public cost.
In lieu of discriminating duties
on imports brought to US in Ameri-
can bottoms it Is proposed to take
l,,t no1I or