Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-12-17
ny Atherton BrovncII.

'''S pune address, whcn he quot
9" PRESIDENT Harding as having said
80 hiin' rpior 70 election, MY grca,
ambition is 10 como into history as
;ho President in whose ad,ninistra-
'ion the American merchant marine
was rur back on tho seven seas."
All Of Mr.. liarding's predecessors
OF recent years have cherished II sim
!iar ambition, possibly with 4 lesser
Hc2r"n Of carnos,ness, and an OF
th"m havo failed OF tho ACCOMPLISH
"oHt. Each ANA all OF them have had
80 met from a largo part of tho
.3nniry--ard mostly from the In
itr'i H"ct'ons--oithcr general apathy
O""ida rho purpose or actual hos
'HiiN To IL: supplemented In the sea
h'|it states by a subtle lrtroagan-
"t against 1t that has undoubtedly
been inspired and backed by our
ohiet maritime rivals. For II IS
not rn''antry on tho part of tho
great foreign trading nations that
causes them 10 be unwilling that the
lni'"d states should 90 tn market
carrying her heavy exports In her
own market BASKET
Ev"ry nation that aspircs 20 n
dominating Influence In tho market.
az the World and a control OF those
hhik"ts' IN tho intcrcsts Of It's own
'NF'Itcfs, mas found IL 20 be good
hh'!onai policy 10 make the opera
non 81 ahipa under It's own nags at
Srhciivc !? private operators through
liberal government aids In the form
Of SUBSIDIES. We alone. OF all Tho
great trading nations. with our eye.
heretofore turned To the interior dc
Neiopmont OF our RESOURCES. and
hitherto caring l;tle for the res, OF
tho World have rcsolYtoly and WIN
hAed consistency 81 purpose In our
legislation pr more han half a con-
'nry prssued course 20 exactly
me opposite that we have virtually
p"'Hlil"d the operation Of American
shlls when engaged In overseas
Nhi" Under Il protective ;arln vc
nave protected our farms from for
rirn coTop"tltion. Under prohibItive
Laws We have protected our coast-
wise traric from the sans. our
Great Lakes shipping has had the
pr"i"rtIon' Of nrtura! barriers. Bu,
When II. cDmcs To American ships on
IA" broad oceans, exposed 20 the full,
gore" Of competition from the cheap
tr-hu!h, chcap-opcratcd and sub
"idiIei foreign ships. We have not
only lc1-thom una!dod. bu, have ac-
'haiIy handicapped them by burden
some and restrictive legislation
Tho Lesson Of the World Wnr.
IT i'rcsticut Hariing's ambition IS
20 b" achieved 1t VIII lie because or
tho Lesson We have learned through
the World war IF the other fcl-
low ~liil carry our fre!gfts cheaner
than we can carry them for our
selves. why not Let him do III" has
been n stock argument for years
against any government policy to-
wards our own ships similar 20 tina,
adopted ''S our successful rivals. To
which the answer really Is that
while ,h!s other fellow can carry
our frtIgh,s cheaper than we can
do II proG,ahly TO ourselves. he does
not and VIII NOT do 40. save when Il
snli MS pleasure TO XIII or Amer
lean cpmpc through "a rate war.
TIC past gear has seen great car
rn's ut~,, American cereals going
htc 4 grea, fleet 6t our own has
H"u lying idle and pIllng up an
'"rmnns expense on ali OF the pco-
Me. The owners OF these foreign
shirs hav" been in a position Ia un,
rhii NOT only the United Stat,k
shipping Eoards rates. but also
t""Ee 81 private American operators.
During the war. owing 10 conditions
Then existing. tho foreign owner was
quick To make Il rate so aigh that
American products found their way
To market only with greatest ditti-
Guilty. or not at all.
The war taught us-all or us
tina, IL was not cheaper at any price
10 he dependent upon our COM
inerciai rivals for access 10 the mar
Lcts of'-the world 1t taught us
tina, II was not cheaper at my price
dnnsnI
willingness or ability OF those whose
interests We're not necessarily ours
Ito give ds ocean transportation. our
exports rotted or rustcd at the piers
because of the lack OF ships Rates
that would havo been prohibitive
under any other circumstances were
grudgingly paid by us because we
could do nothing else We were MOI
independent: we were IA vassalagc
OF our own sup!ne creation.
"rhc Cest OF Maritime VnssaInsc.
This vassalage. continuing through
full century of time. has cost our
people an unimag!nable sum of
money. which has been paid out OF
our own pockets into the pockets OF
others for doing for us what we
might we'll have done for ourselves,
During this period we have paid TO
foreign ocean carriers for taking
our goods 10 market a sum eauiva-
lent TO more than s2S for every min
ute that has elapsed since the be-
ginning OF the Christian era. 1t is
money that we might we'll have kept
within the national family to he
used for the development Of national
family prosperity and welfare. Paid
TO others, 1t has been tribute that
we have permitted to be levied upon
ourselves because OF our negligence
ana shorts!ghtcdness. The full real
dHation OF this did not como to our
people until tho harsh alarm OF war
smote upon our ears. and the spec
'tacle OF a world In arms opened our
eyes to tho fact that we could not
live In a splendid isolation and still
enjoy the benefits of trade with the
world,
In addition to this awakening. add
ed 10 thtS new knowledge that has
come toas,u us. President Harding's
great ar1bition will be furthcred by
tho fact that--as a pre- ious Presi-
dent once said-"it Is a condition and
not theory that confronts u.s."
Hastily and with characteristic and
fevorish energy. at great and ex-
cefsive cost owing to the dire ma
mo Of the emergency. we brought