South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-05-26


prob.em Is. What II the necessity
OF American-owue ships n the for
clen ship-owners can and will carry
ouf ocean fre.Ehts cheaper than We
can dc IL for ourselves"
This question should have been
answered 20 the satisfaction Of
everyone by the World War Then
We were driven 20 acknowledge the
necessity OF such a fleet. when the
ships of those who were later our
allies were diverted from com
merce 20 war purposes and could
not or would not. carry the freights
trat we were earnestly seeking 20
deliver in foreign ports Then we
entered the war and heard the CRY
Of our allies for Ships. more
-hipsi" and were compelled 20 ad-
nit our poverty Humuiatlng as II
was 20 the pride OF rich America.
hoasting the possession Of all that
goes 20 make up a powerful and eff
Cient nation. our gallant soldiery
was rushed 10 the front and 20 our
place in tho hghling line In ships
flying the flags Of other nations, else
we would have remained at home.
impotent and ignored. Under the
spur and lash Of necessity we
brought a splendid fleet OF mer-
chant vessels into being, which Is
today the largest single feet OF
merchant vessels IN the world
Lesson OF Experience
Now. IN time OF peace. with the
experience Of the notIvery distant
past TO serve as lamp 20 guide
our footsteps shall we listen TO
these IN our own country and 20 the
propaganda OF our commercial RI
walls and make no effort TO maintain
and to use that feet? Shall we
abandon these ships. leave chem to
rot and decay. and leave ourselves
an easy y-commercialIy and
ctherwise-to those great powers
which. with characteristic energy
hacked by the experience OF hun
6reds OF years. are reaching out for
world commerce and the dominance
Of the sea?
We have Just witnessed a great
disarmament conference which has
determined the naval standing of
the great powers II behooves us
10 assure for Ourselves-not for mil
itary purposes. but for the protec-
tion and developments OF our COM
mercial as we'll as national defense
that we hold our routes on the
sea by the maintenance OF our mer.
chant marine IN order 20 keep
relative position. az least. with the
other maritime nations under the
ratio that has been established for
capital ships Of the navy
The Question of CheapnCss
Superfcially. az least u e. true
trait foreign ships. costing
less TO construct operated under
lower wage scale and aided by
government subventiOns because Of
the service 20 all the people. can
carry our freights az a lower rate
than we can carry them for our
selves Whether or not they can
carry them cheaper. taking all
costs into consideration. IS quite an
-her matter We can consequent
-v meet this foreign competition
only by adjusting this difersntial
through suhvention direct or ind
rect. and permitted by congress SION
action
During the past year immense
cargoes Of cereals have been shipped
our OF the United States IN ships
ewing foreign flags because these
ships were able 20 underbld both
he United Stetes Shipping Board
vessels anc thoss OF independent
American operators u q cheaper.
.n the long run. 20 permit this pos
ebility 10 continue With all that
&, involves. while our own feet.
.riIt ~ the cost OF a great invest
ment lies idle. earning nothing de-
-eriorating and going 70 ruin2 Is
cheaper for rs 70 forfeit our own
ladepe Evidence AT any cost2
The Tribute We have Paid
For the past one hundred years
-he foreign comm cree OF the United
states has amounted 20 the un,hink-
able amount % nearly one hundred
--5 cry billions ~ dollars. Seventy
siA per cent or this was carried IN
foreign ships, which coUsrted as
r~ihuts from ne American shippers
.he frciEhts thereon and took that
much money out Of the country and
-vt o. the pockets OF our own peo-
ols The amount that our industry
and production fhus poured !nto
foreign coTers for freights. lnsur-
auce End 10 banking interests.
mounted 20 no less than twenty
eight billions Of collars tremeud b
Gus Indictment against the apathy
o.. our interest in American chips
nd 0va-araa Tad To 4rrzr ~ .
extent have we depleted our own
--esources and retarded the expan-
SION Of our shipping industrial.
commercial and agricultural inter
ests
The iurensity % the amount we
ave thus given 20 others Tor what
We might GO for ourselves can best
Ne v!sual.Zed hv comparison T. is
-umcient 10 have huIt fftv-six
Panama Canals r. IS about twenty
eight times The amount we have
e7ent IN these one hundred years
Cor al az our improvements az har-
tors waterways and canals-except-
trg only that az Panama And IN
-he last seven years alone we have
rr1s natd % foreirrers and out 81
fhc pockets ~ rrr own people. an
mount almost equal 20 the total
aNie9 debt ~ the allies 20 the United
states
Yet there are those IN this coun-
try who continue 20 ask the question
7-hy we should not lcr the foreigner
carry Our fre.ghts u lie Will Would