Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-28
President Urges
Subsidy on Ships

TTCSLOCuC Urges
Subsidy on Ships
Continued from Pare One
The larger employment. by two and n
llnlf times. was in non -dutiablc ship.
ments.
Continued trade must be reciprocal.
We cannot long maintain sales where
we do not buy. Tn the promotion OF
these exchanges we should have as much
concern for the promotion of sales ns
for the facilitntion Of our purchases.
There is not a record in all history Of
| long maintained eminence in export
trade. except as the exporting nations
developed their own carrying capacity.
"No story Of national development
az that of developing capacity for the
exchanges of commerce. Expanding
civilization may be traced over the ave-
| nues Of exchanging cargoes.
Commerce and Glory Linked
"No matter how materialistic it may
sound, nations have developed for them
selves and have influenced the world
almost precisely as they have promoted
their commerce. We need not refer to
the armed conflicts which have been in.
cident thereto. When commerce has
been destroyed fading glorics have at
tended.
"lt will avail nothing TO attempt
even the briefest resume of our own
efforts to re- establish that American
Importance in commerce carrying on
the high seas which was recorded In
the earlier days Of the republic. The
aspiration is nationwide.
1.-The conflict between two schools Of
political thought heretofore hns de-
featcd all efforts to employ the gov
crnmental aid which other nations found
advantageous while VIC held aloof. md
the terms subsidy and 'subvention'
were made more or less hateful to the
American public. But the nation wide
desire to restore our merchant marine
has outlived all defeats and every costly
failure.
Eight years ago the aspiration
found expression in movement to have
the Government sponsor an enterprise
in which individual genius seemingly
had failed. 1T would be difficult cor
rcctly to appraise the policy. because
the world war put an end TO all normal
activities.
L. s. Shipping Energies Revived
'.Before We were involved our ship
yards were suddenly turned to feveriSh
and costly activities by the call of the
allied Powers for shipping. without
which they could not hope tn survive.
American energies were applied to con-
struCtion for others. as we had never
dreamed uf doing for ourselves.
1n.n Il n,f
and luadrup!cd the output on our own
account. Allied resources wore called
upon TO build to meet the destruction by
submarine warfare. and ships were so
essential that material for them was
given priority over arms and munt .
tions.
"rherc was the call for ships. and
ships. and yet more ships. and we on.
larged old yards and established new
ones without counting the cost. We
built mndly. extravagantly. impracti
cally. and yet miraculously. but we met
pressing need and performed great
service.
"a people Indifferent to the vital ne
cessity of merchant marine to the
national defense. ungrudgingly expend-
cd Mt five times the cost OF normal con
struction. and appropriated billions
where millions had been denied before.
J Acquired Vast Tonnage
eve acquired 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 cxtrava ganc", of war.
time anxiety and haste Th" war pro-
gram. and that completion of con =
tracts which followed because such q
course seemed b"S. to those then charged
with responsibility. gave us something
more than 12,OUU,0OO gross tonnage,
not counting the folly Of the wood con :
structions at totel outlay Of approx
1--WE thus became possessed OF the
vehicles of a great merchant marine.
Not all Of it was practical for use in
the trans oceanic trades: little of it wGH
built for the speed which gives the
coveted class to outstanding service.
but here WAS vast tonnage for cargo
service: and the Government. in tho
exceptional call of commerce which I'M
mediatcly followed the war. sought the
establishment OF shipping lines in every
direction calculated to enhance oar for
eign trade and further cement our
friendly relations.
Governmental Experiment
'"Thr movement lacked in most raarA
that inherent essential to success which
Is found in individual initiative. 1t
was rather Government experiment.
where lines were established in high
hope and little assurance. because the
public trensury was TO bear the bur-
den. There was the mere suggestion of
private enterprise, inasmucli az alloca-
tions and charters were made under
which private management was TO share
IN profits and private interests We're
paid to make the experiment, though
the Government was to bear all the
losses.
Il forbcar the detailed recital. The
misadventure was 10 unfortunate that
when the present Administration came
into responsibility the losses were ap-
proximntcly $4,000, 900 n month. and
to the cost Of failure was added the
humiliation Of ships libclcd in foreign
ports.
''ln spite Of all the later loSscs in
operation, however. it is quite beyond
question that our abundance Of Amer.
lean tonnage was mainly responsible
for our ability to share in the good for
tunes of world trade during the two
wears Immediately following the war.
In all probability, the losses We have
sustained IN our shipping activities
were fully compensated to the American
people In the saving Of ocean freights
in that period.
'"rodny VIZ are possessed Of vast ton .
mage. large and very costly experience,
and the conviction of failure. 1t is fair
to say that mistaken policy was made