Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-10-30
Washington, D. c., Oct. 27.-The

! Washington, d. c., Oct. 27.-The
ship subsidy bill, already strenuously
fought over in preliminary skirmishes,
Is to be one of the main subjects be-
fore congress at the next session.
Representative Greene of Massachu-
sets, author and champion jof the
bill. confidently predicts that his
measure will come through the con-
,fuct safely. however, and that the
American flag will once more assume
its old prominence on the high seas.
The shipping question is compli-
Gated ana the bill is technical. The
situation briefly is that an American
merchant fleet, built at enormous cost
in wartime lies idle in u yards. The
shipping board still has In its charge
1875 ships, Of which some 1,2O0-are
inactive. The board would like to
sell all Of these ships to private firms,
recover some Of It's Investment, and
go quietly out Of existence.
America has no large, dependable
marine to carry its cargoes. and here
are almost 1900 ships, the nucleus
Of = first class shipping industry. But
private capital IL not coming forward
to operate. the ships. AS matters
stand, a foreign freighter with cheap
European or oriental labor can be OPP
Grated SO much more cheaply than an
American ship that our business men
will not try to compete. The great.
potential American y marine remains
a troublesome white elephant IN the
hands Of the shipping board
The arguments In favor ofan Amer
lean merchant fleet might be explain
ed here. Chairman LAsker of the
shipping board points out that while
foreign ships have handled our trade
more or less satisfactorily in the past,
the situation is different now. When
the United States was a debtor ma
ton, he tolI the house committee on
merchant marine.- Europe could be
depended upon to furnish US with
ships because the ships would be used
to carry goods to pay off our Euro
Des Now sse %e are ! osea,,or nation and
Europe las lost her strongest incen-
tive to allow us the use Of her ships,
Hence, II lin an emergency England
or another. maritime nation should re-
|quirc its Merchant fleet for ita own
purposes the United States might be
left without that many carriers and
its trade would be badly crippled.
That this did not occur during the
recent war, Mr.. Lasker has explained,
was due to the fact that England
needed supplies which the United
States could provide. With different
combination. of powers and in a diff
ferent emergency situation, the Init
led States might find itself A~erjously
embarrassed for want OF ships.
Should Utilize OuElShips.
The feeling that this country should
not put all Of ITS trust in European
ships IL growing. Now that we nave
tho makings OF q. marine It is argued
that We should not let the ships ro,
because circumstances are unfavora-
BILE to American Competitors. The re-
suit Of this feeling Is the Greene sub
sidy bill. s sgs
This bill would subsidize American
ship owners for rho nnxtsten years In
which time they would lbe expetted
to get firmly on their feet. Money
would be fl6aned to them and in re-
turn they would be under contract
their vessels alons the hines set down
lin the bill. y
Advocates Of the bill show that
France mas found IL advisable is grant
10 subsidy to shipping interests and
that Japan has provided for its shin
owners for the coming year.
II n no long since this country had
"a merchant marine of any importance
thatFthe question 81 occasionally raised
'as to whether Ainericansb are really
suited st0yssa fartnE. 44Perhapsi 1T III not
'advisable for u to- Try compete: with
iseR loving nations, It isS suKgestcd.
Htstory shows that througha colonial
times and almost up 10 the Civil war
this country was marfttnoS power,
IT. clippers proudly carried the flag