The New York herald., 1922-04-05

thus be sold with esta blished good viii
to private owners. The very method
chosen has worked 10 defeat Its own
purpose. for in the upbuilding of those
routes the Government has operated
ships. and In the operation of ships has
driven its potential customers largely
off the seas. Thus, we come to corciu-
sons from which there can be no es-
capc-that since continued Government
operation means finally the possible and
likely elimination of private operation
of American ships. method must be
devised whereby the Government shall
end its operation and at the same time
insure carriage Of American goods under
the American flag through private
ownership as contemplated by the Jones
act"
However undesirable continued Gov
ernment operation may be, Mr.. Lasker
pointed out. there is unfortunately under
current conditions no market for the
boards tonnage.
After months of deliberation, in
January last" he said. "the board de-
clded to undertake to sell It's tonnage at
world market prices; and on its steel
freighters. after careful investigation, 1t
found this to be a minimum Of $40 per
ton for the best tonnage. So depressed
is worlds shipping at present, and es-
peclally so timid are operators under
rhe American flag. that we have even
at these prices been able to dispose of
but 100000 deadweight. or $1,000 gross
tons. Nor can we see any great hope of
disposal of an appreciable part OF the
total tonnage we have. unless, through
Government aid, the difference between
our operation and that of the foreigner
is provided for, and thereby auto
matically the competition of wasteful
Government operation removed"
Detailing suggested substitutes for
the present Shipping Board operating
system. such as chartering the fleet on
bareboat basis, Mr.. Lasker rejected
all as inpracticable, coming again to
the conclusion that the only possible So
luton was elimination of the Govern
! ment as an operating factor.
| Continued Government operation"
he declared solves the problem In
one way, TO wilt. that the fleet
shall be operated by the Government
until 1t Is worn out and thus assure
the elimination of the American flag
from world commerce"
Urging the need OF haste on the COM
| mittee members. Mr.. Lasker said For
reasons which we have sketched to you.
the inefflciencies of the Government op-
Grafton. the great loss thereby accruing
| through the continuance OF the Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation, the uncertainty
In the minds of private owners because
OF that continued operation. and the
need OF q policy TO insure the disposi-
tion or the Government owned fleet, all
testify TO the fact that expedition is the
essence. In the enactment OF the legisia-
ton for which the President has asked.
Delay may be fatal. The Shipping Board
would view with alarm lnaction by this
Congress on the legislation which the
President asked Ia behalf CT our tner-
chant marine.
The matter under consideration Is
not merely one Of subsidy or no subsidy
II involves what shall become Of the
Governments vast war built merchant
| fleet: what shall be done to end the
large losses OF governmental operation
of ships through the Emergency Fleet
Corporation: what shall be done TO i1-
sure the overseas carriage Of Americas
surplus products In time OF peace and
1t involves. in Importance possibly be-
yond all these questions. whether Amer
lea, through the possession Of an ade-
quate merchant marine. shall be self
sustaining and self-sufficient on the
seas In times of war"