The Washington times., 1922-10-12
MARVIN Tells
| WHY SUBSIDY
IS NECESSARY
Future Of American Marine
/ Dark, He Says, Without
Legislative Aid.
ny WINTHROP l.. MARVIN.
viee President and GENERAL Manager
Americas Steamship Owners

ny WlNThISOf II. MhnNtN.
viee President and General Manager
Americas steem.hip Owners
Association.
Written for Cosmopolitan News Service
NEW YORK, Oct. III do not
believe ocean travellers, bound FOL
New York. win divert their course
to Quebec or some other Canadian
drinks which they cannot get on
ships coming to this or any other
American port. 1t is ridiculous to
assume otherwise. What the out
come of the present situation may
be, have no means of knowing
! do not care TO discuss this par
itcular subject further than to say
that It Is regrettable state oi
affairs.
AS for the future of the Ameri
can marine, / regard II as very
I dark unless Congress passes the
ship subsidy bill American ship
ping. more particularly that part
Of II engaged In overseas trade, n
now badly handicapped through
{ competition with foreign shipping
particularly Great Britain. Ger
many, also, Is an important factor
Lloyd's register has set forth the
hcts Very interestingly.
Too Many Ships Built.
ri, American shipbuilders are suffer
ing from the condition brought about
by the great number of ships built
In this country during the world war
which left SO many bottoms on our
: hands at the conclusion Of the con
ll<nf To- kV.tI Hvs.
with no prospect of a subsidy, Is, OF
course. out of the question.
With the passage of the subsidy
measure, however, the outlook would
be greatly changed. Discouraging as
shipping conditions are at this time
We still have only about 16 per cent
of our shipping in ocean traffic dis
engaged, which individual fact Is en
couraging. taking everything into
consideration,
1t Is impossible for American ship
builders to compete with Great
Britain or European builders, in view
OF the lower costs abroad. 1t Is
therefore, no wonder that there has
been a slump in shipbuilding here
for we are building only about per
cent of the worlds tonnage, as com
pared with so per cent for Great
Britain and "a per cent for all other
maritime nations combined.
Builders Need Aid.
But let American shipbuilders OBJ
tain from their Government the aid
to which they are justly entitled.
and we shall see a recrudescence OF
our overseas marine which will
easily place us in position whereby
we can compete with other countries,
and the American flag will then
again be flown in seven seas. o..
III The membership Of this association
numbers seventy, and comprises all
the concerns of any importance en-.
gagged in overseas and some coast
wide trade. OF the passage of the
subsidy bill we have strong conf.
dence. The majority in Congress In
it's favor is large. II the bill is en-.
acted into law, its benefits to Ameri.
can trade will be almost incalculable,
for numerous branches of our trade,
besides shipping, will be benefited.
II the bill fails to pass, the injury
and loss to all American foreign
trade will be equally great. I can
not believe Congress will fail to give
American ships the opportunity TO
compete with those Of other
countries. To do otherwise would be-
well-nigh disastrous.