New-York tribune., 1922-11-22

treasury; am appealing for pro-
| gram 80 dimini. h the burden we are
already bearing,
When your executive government
knows Of public expenditures aggre-
| eating s50,0Go.eoo annually, which it
believes could be reduced by half
/ through u change of policy, your
/ government would be unworthy of
public trust if such a change were
| not commended, nay II it were not
insistsntly urged,
And the pity of it is that our
| present expenditure in losses is not
| constructive. 1t looks to no future
/ attainments. 1t is utterly ineffective
| in the establishment of depend
! able merchant marine, whereas the
! encouragement of private ownership
! and the application of individual
| initiative would make for perma-
! nent creation, ready and answerable
| at all times to the needs of the ma
! tion.
But have not properly portrayed
all the current losses to the public
treasury. We are wearing out our
ships without any provision for re-
! placement. We are having these
| losses through deterioration now,
and are charging nothing against
| our capital account. But the losses
are there and regrettably larger
| under government operation Athan
under private control.
"Gioomy Picture of Losses"
PORTRAYED by Ships Worth
Only few years OF continued
| losses on capital account will make
| these losses through depreciation
| alone TO exceed the fifty millions
| wear now drawn TO cover losses IN
operation The gloomy picture of
! losses does not end even there. Not
| withstanding the known war cost OF
three billions Of dollars for the pres
! ent tonnage, will not venture to
| appraise its cash value to-day.
1t may as we'll be confessed now
| as at some later time that in the
mad rush to build, in establishing
| shipyards wherever men would or
| ganize to expend government money,
when we made shipbuilders over
! night quite without regard TO pre-
| vious occupations or pursuits, we
| builded poorly, often very poorly.
| Moreover, we constructed Without
| any formulated program for mer-
! chant marine. The war emergency
! impelled and the cry was for ships,
any kind OF ships. The error is re-
called in regret rather than criti-
cisn1.
The point is that our feet, costing
approximately three billions, is worth
only fraction Of that cost to-day.
Whatever that fraction may be, the
truth remains that we have no mar
ket in which to sell the ships under
our present policy, and program of
surrender and sacrifice and the ioui-
| dation which is inevitable unless the
pending legislation is sanctioned will
cost scores Of millions more.
Must Wipe Out Losses
In Operation of Fleet
When the question is asked, "Why
the insistence for the merchant ma
rine act now?" the answer is appar-
ent. Waving every inspiration
which lies in constructive psan for
maintaining our flag ON the CONNER
cial highways OF the seas, walving
the prudence in safeguarding against
another ss,ooo,ooo,0oo madness If
war ever again inpels, we have the
unavoidable task of wiping cat q
$50,o00,000 annual loss in operation
and losses aggregating many nun
dreds OF millions In worn-out, sac
rifced or scrapped shipping.
Then the supreme humiliation, the
admission that che United States
our America, once eminent among
the maritime nations of the world
is incapable Of asserting itself in
the peace triumphs on the seas Of
the world. It would seem to mo
doubly humiliating when we own the
ships and fail in the genius and ca
pacity to turn their prows toward tho
marts Of the world.
j This problem eannos longer be ig-
nored, it's attempted solution cannot
longer be postponed. s1e failure Of
Congress TO act dccisivcly will be
no less disastrous than adverse ac-
! tion.
Three courses Of action are pos
sible and the choice among them is
no longer to be avoided.
Constructive, Obstructive and
Destructive Courses Outlined
| The first is constructive--enact the
pending bill, under wlsicl, firmly be-
lieve an American merchant marine,
| privately owned and privately op-
| Grated but serving all the people and
always available to the government
! in any emergency, may be established
and maintained.
The second is obstructive-con-
tinue government operation and at
1 tending government losses and dis
courage private enterprise by gov
ernnent competition, under which
l losses are met by the public treas