Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-03-01
oarrassment of GU, trade relationship

abroad.
1.-THE recommended ton of today is
based wholly on this commendable
intent of Congress. The proposed
aid of the government to it's merchant
marine is to have its chief source in
the duties collected on imports. In
stead of applying the discriminating
duty to the specific cargo, and thus
encouraging only the inbound ship
ment, propose that we shall collect
all import duties. without dscrimina-
ton as between American and foreign
bottoms and apply tho heretofore
proposed reduction to create a fund
for the governments aid to our mer-
chant marine. BY such a program we
shall encourage not alone the carry
ing OF inbound cargo subject to our
tariffs, but we shall strengthen Amer
lean ships in the carrying of that
greater inbound tonnage on which no
duties are levied. and, more important
than these, we shall equip our mer-
cnant marine to serve our outbound
commerce, which is the casure of
our eminence in foreign trade.
1T is interesting to note. in con-
nection with the, heretofore pro-
posed plan of discriminating tariffs
on imports. carried to our shores in
American bottoms that the total val
ue of all dutiable imports for 1920 in
all vessels. was 81. $50. ST.. 900. while
the cargoes admitted free of dutv on
which no discrimination was pos
s1bie. were valued at sells. 9.5S 600.
The actual tonnage comparison is
even more significant from the view
point of cargo carrying. because TIE
dutlable carGoes measured, in round
numbers. 1OOOO,O00 tons and the
non-dutiable cargoes were $4,000, 600
tons. The larger employment. by
two and half times, was in nom
dutiable shipments.
Continued trade must be recip-
rocal We cannot long maintain
sales where we do not buy. In the
rtcmotion of these exchanges we
should have as much concern for tie
promotion of sales as for the facilia-
ta'ior of our purchases. There is not
record in all history of long main
! tanned eminence in export trade, ex-
cept as the exporting nations de-
VeIoped their own carrying capacity.
| NO story of national development
! is more fascinating o. so full of ro-
nance as that of developing capacity
for TIE exchanges of commerce. En-
pandinS civilization may lie traced
over the avenues of exchanging car
! goes. No matter how materialistic
it may sound nations have devel-
oped for themselves and have in
fiuenced the world almost precisely
as they have promoted their COM
merce. We need not refer to the
armed conflicts which have been in
cident thereto. When commerce has
l'een destroyed fading glories have
attended.
| 1t will avail, nothing to attempt
even the briefest resume Of our eff
forts to re-esta blish that American
the high seas which was recorded in
the earlier days of the republic. The
aspiration is nationwide.
'"The conflicts between two schools
OF political thought heretofore has
| defeated all efforts to employ the
governmental aid which other ma
tons found advantageous while We
held aloof, and the terms Subsidy
and 'subvention' were made more or
less hateful to the American public.
But the nationwide desire to restore
our merchant marine has outlived all
defeats and every costly failure.
Eight years ago the aspiration
found expression in a movement to
have the government sponsor an en-
terprise in which individual genius
seemingly had failed. 1t would be
difficult correctly to appraise the
policy. because the world war put an
end to all normal activities. Before
we were involved our shipyards were
suddenly turned to feverish and cost
ly activities by the call of the allied
powers for shipping, without which
enterprise they could not hope to
survive. American energies were ap-
piled to construction for others, as
we had never dreamed of doing for
ourselves.
when we were later engaged We
trebled and quadrupled the output
for our account. We &C
quired vast tonnage. Some, of it
much of it, is suited to the peace
service of expanded commerce.
Some of it, much of it, may be
charged to the errors and extrava-
gances of wartime anxiety and haste
Tie war program and that compile
It:5n of contracts which followed be-
cause such course seemed best to
those then charged with responsible
ity. gave us something more than
100000 gross tonnage, not count.
ing the folly of the wood construc-
ton at total outlay of approx
mately three and one-half billions OF
dollars.
"The movement lacked in most
cases that inherent essential to sue
cess which is found in individual in
itiative. 1t was rather government
experiment, where lines We're estab-
lished i'm high hope and little as.
surance. because the public treasury
was to bear the burden. There was
the mere suggestion of private
enterprise inasmuch as ALLEGATIONS
and charters were made under which
private management was to share in
profits and private interests were
paid to make the experiment
though the government was to bear
all the losses. l forbear the detail
cd recital. The misadvcnturc was SO