Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-11-30
SHIP SUBSIDY AND CLEMENCEAU
BY J. o. Knott.

VIZ PiNoShi kdluGI dDUut Tie SuDSl- /
dizing of our American merchant ma /
Tlne, and the visit OF M. Clemenceau to
this country.
Neither of these should be a pure
ly political question. OF course. pol I
ltlcians will see in each chance to
get in ticks for their individual par
ty. The Democrats will see in what
Clemenceau is saying that Mr. Wilson
was right in his position that we
should not Withdraw in any sense our
help from the Allies by whose sides
we fought. And on Ship Subsidy, the
Poiltica! lines are already sharply
drawn in Congress.
| write on this dual subject. how
ever, 10 Try to enforce the importance
OF a wider understanding Of national
and international questions, and TO
show, if ! can, how valuable yet how
rare Is independent thinking in the
face OF our political predispositions
not to say preiudices.
On Ship Subsidy, the great papers
OF our country are divided without
regard to political Affiliations. The
Baltimore Sun, supposedly Democrat
&c, yields to the local pull that Bal
timore is large shipping port, and
sustains the administration in its plea
Tor subsidized merchant marine.
But the New York Times, notwith-
standing the situation of our great
metropolis as shipping center, is not
only strong in its opposition to the
proposed legislation, but unmerciful in
its exposure Of the underlying prin-
ciples OF such thing. The Times
quotes from so strong a republican pa
per as the Springfield Republican, the
experience OF one who is writing to
that paper from Singapore, and who
says: ~ have received American
shipments from American, Japanese,
British and Dutch lines-and as a
plain matter of fact, am forced to
say that the best service has been from
the English line, and the only out
and-out bad service from the Amer
lean line, operated by the Shipping
Board" The Times comments on this:
The fact that our shipping men have
not more resolutely grappled with the
stern realities Of their business, il
they expect to hold their own on the
free ocean routes, is partly due to
their feeling that if they fall behind,
paternal Government will somehow
come to the rescue" Of course if
this incident sent in from Singapore
is an isolated one, the Times would
not be justified in building upon it an
argument. But the unpalatable fact
stares us in the face that our Ameri-
can shippers and their ships are not
careful TO compete with other nations
in methods and in spirit.
| have had to do of late with rates
on transatlantic steamers. have
found that If go on an American line
"a thing one naturally would dol
pay about third more money than if
use foreign steamer. When | ask
why this is, ! am told: "You cannot
expect American sailors and shipping
men to work for the low wages which
foreigners get" But, when | get on
an American steamer, | find no Amer
ican sailors or waiterS-but foreign
ers, almost to man. The plea con-
corning American wages is one BY
which the ship owners boost their
prices and have up till now made rates
for crossing the ocean exorbitant.
People see in the plea for subsidz-
ing the merchant marine of our coun-
try the plea almost exactly of the high
protectionist, who begs in the name
CT American workmen and in the name
of developing our native industries,
that we prevent other nations from
sending in 10 US goods similar to what
these Americans manufacture, lest
they (the foreigners) undersell these |
true-blue Americans and thus break
up American industry. But experience !
Las shown that when once an indus
try Is protected" the favored men
who control the industry forget the |
basis on which they secured their ia
vors, and enrich themselves through |
our Governments paternalsm
Men naturally doubt the sincerity !
OF the men who are urging that our
Government give to the private owners /
OF American ships huge sums of mon |
ey, for which the people are to be |
taxed, that these private owners may |
nave under them the strong hand of /
Uncle Sam, and who are thus pamper- |
ed, Ike boy who knows if he fails |
in business dad" will come to the .
rescue, and who takes little care TO
be on the job; while other men, who
must sink or swim BY their own eff .
forts, make good and develop indus
try.
If the people of our country could .
get over the deep-Seated doubt whether
merchant marine would use some mon
ey in the form of a subsidy to develop
their sea-faring interests, and then,
having gained that point, would say:
. Now, withdraw Government support"
the plea OF Mr.. Harding might be
available. As it is, the late election,
with its semi-repudation of the ad-
and its Congress, has
strengthened the doubt in our nation
that movement to- apply tariff prin-
cipleS to our American merchant ma
rine is wise. And the fight is on to
see whether Mr.. Harding will actually
ignore the election as ne seems inclin-
cd TO do, anl press his favOritc inca.