The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-07-13
SAYS ]. s. MUST
TAKE RIGHTFUl
PLACE ON SEAS
oEiPPlNG BOARD CHAIRMAN M.
VIEWS RISE AND DECLINE OF
AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINE
AND TELLS WHY NATION MUST
FACE IssuE or DISPOSITION or
GOVERNMENT OWNED FLEkT.
Note: This is the fret Of o ssElea
ef SIX articles on the American Mer-
ehart Marine by the Chairman OF the
shipping Board.
ARTICLE I.

ELe
dom the masters of their " des-
TIMES. Whether America Wills 1t or
10, the time has come when We must
perforce occupy the first place on the
stage of world commerce. plaza
never occupied in history by any ma
ton not strong in seapoWer.
The first act passed by the A1neri-
an Congress was designed to aid
American shipping by making the
tariffs lower on goods when shipped
In American bottoms than when ship
ped under foreign flag.
From the time Of the union Of our
original thirteen coastal states until
the Civil War, one of the leading in
dustries In America was shipping.
Through our superior ability in the
construction Of ships and the prox-
unity Of our raw materials for
wooden ships (Which were the only
ships of those days., Americas sea
annals of that period constitute a
proud age In the history Of the re-
public.
Treaties Forbid DISCRIMINATION.
By 1898, through treaties, the pol
iey Of discrimination, preferential
tariffs and similar legislation came
70 an end. Today the United States
tas something over one hundred
commercial treaties %forbidding suoh
practices.
There were several major factors
that contributed to cur willingness
70 neglect our merchant mafanS
utter the close OF the Owl War.
Among these was the development
of our rich central and far west.
Not only vas the adventuresome
youth lured west Of the Allegheniss
but capital found better opportunity
Tor profit in the development of ouf
Fach inland empire. With the fnd-
ing Of gold in California the lure Of
adventure and profit attracted our
young men from the eastern sea
board belt to the great un~developed
territory lying to the westward. The
movement then inaugurated (a move
ment Of vast Importance 70 ourselves
and indeed the whole world) marked
che beginning Of the rapid decline of
the American Merchant Marine.
1t about the same time the iron
ship was perfected. In those days
America was not in a position to
build iron ships in competition with
Great Britain whose coal ana iron
ore .aF '!@"'lca,.v At @eaboard where
the ships were constructed. We had
not then as yet developed our great
Iron industry nor our steel industry
which followed later.
In addition to these very compel
ing reasons, America required all
the borrowed capital she could get,
particularly for the development of
Der railroads. These roads wers
built as a result of the encourage
ment given by Government subsidies
OF land grants and they formed the
arteries through which the wealth OF
the central and western portions OF
eur country poured.
Subsidy Like Tariff Protection.
In order to insure the DEVELOPMENT
OF u infant industries. America
adopted a system Of high tariffs TO,
ehe product Of factory, mine and
Isrm alike. Thus, American ships
pad to be built by the highest PAID
teoor i" the word an: operated by
sreWs receiving high wages.
None would have American stand.
- erds OF living lower than they r
out the 1nsurmOunl2Jie handicay
caused thereby to American shippins
built and operated by projected labor
10 obvious.
At the start of the World War IL
1S14, Americas PASSENGER feet If
ehe North Atlantic had dwindled tt
the shameful total of six yesseIs
The aid given them in the way O,
postal subsidy by our Government,
was undoubtedly the chief reason
1our or them were able to confirm,
IN service at that Gqtn. Our Who'll,
neet of %sea-going steel and iron shin,
at that time totaled only one milIio,
: gross tons as compared with eishtee,
mhlion tons for Great Britain exelu
sfve of her colonies.
-, fortunately fc~ ~, Great pr1tai,
and her Allies, In the conduct OF tn,
? war before our entry and afterwards
1eeded all the surplus products W,
eould supply and demanded ever IN
creased production from us. II vii
pc recalled that p vastly difseren
Qltuat1on prevailed during the Boo
war and the farmer and wool grove
q America viii remember what han
Dened to them during that -perfot
when British ships were not avail
ablesf to Gerry our SURPRISES and "
lad no merchant marine of cur OWL
Immediately upon our entranc
INTO the 1T In 1917, there arose
cry ntnre ships and agai
ore ships,ss p the foremost cor
tfibStfop Amsfica could give. Al
result the Government built til
ergest fssk HQrid has eve
4pown. Consisting d more tina
ppventeen hsa1red ships pf mol
han eleven mflIion dsadwefght ton
kpAeity- No factor aided morp I
klngiH Inc xar TO d quick coneIu
~. than thu Kaissr's rssosntae
America WIS verify arransiu
span thu AtIaatie with ! bridSs |
Dkipna A4
casnot nDpsNl On ForsIonsss
Anasrfca aGnsegsd from tina -
Bsditpr uakico, whereas befors
Zen ! Ashfor nation. P51or /
S&I -