The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-07-27

~s~ VIVA - ~A - ~
instance from the home base, 1t requires
an u%nending merchant feet Of every
type 10 keep 1t going-fast passenger
ships for raiding, scouting and car
rage Of airplanes; refrigerator ships
for food; tanksrs and Golfers for
bunkering; and regular cargo ships
tor other supplies. r ~. 49,.
We all too well remember, that
when President Roosevelt made the
proud gesture involved in the dispatch
OF our battle feet around the world, 1t
had to be bunkered and supplied In
the Pacific almost entirely by foreign
flag ships. Our naval giant, while i'm
pressing the world, at the same time
proved its feet were made, OF clay.
Such shame and impotency must
never again come to America.
In addition to our naval needs, the
late war has proved that II an army
Ia to be transported, there must be an
unending merchant marine under our
flag. It Is through the all too late and
costly realization Of this very need
that we find ourselves in possession OF
our today's Government-owned feet.
Naval Equality Threatened.
Il We are to be on anything like a
naval parity with Great Britain under
the 6-6-3 program, then there Is no
problem before the American people
that presses more urgently for solu-
ton than the problem Of u merchant
marine. As Secretary Denby has said,
II all naval armament were ended by
world agreement, Great Britain would
be more powerful on the sea than ever
In its history; because its vast mer.
chant marine, could be used, if no
other navy existed, for war purposes
a. well as to meet peace needs.
= In the passenger and consultation
passenger-and-cargo ships, which are
the very backbone Of a merchant ma
rine for wartime needs, we are still
sadly deficient, for u warbuilt feet
includes few passenger ships. OF this
type of ships America has today %
compared to Approximately $50 belong
ing to Great Britain, or almost five
times as many such vital ships in
favor OF Britain as against ourselves.
When age and speed, In addition, are
considered, as considered they must.
be, the ratio is even higher in favor Of
Great Britain. 1 : II
( 81 that all thought must be put aside
that there 10 any possibility Of our being
on q 5-6-3} naval basis with Great Britain
unless and until we have q national policy
e insure the merchant marine which must
= added to the total Of our navy to ind
~ true basis OF relationship to- the naval
cctualfties of Great Britain. To ray, with
0ut such q merchant marine, that the
Warrington conference has resulted ~
laval equality between ourselves and dreat
Britain, IL to display an tgnorance tnak
may be paid for later in the humiliation
~ our country and at i~nsxcusabie sacrincs
sf life and treasure. %S% .%EE
Merchant Vessels War Need.
Because one Of the major features o.
President HArding's program ID the de-
ss1opment Of such d merchant marine under
private American initiative ahs willingly en-
tersd Into the Warrington pact With the
Warrington agreement.canae the cancelia-
HON Of many naval ships building and the
hn-ysar naval holiday. Unless m Amerf-
I'm INGREDIENT marine be created during
kRRt period, the art OF G~hlpDnlldtnG Will De
6rosly lost to America; and AZ war should
eome again, We VIII Ind ourselves az sad
disadvantage 10 tho maritime nations ~
Tie world Whose shipyards share been kept
allys. s&S## %8.4
The Legislative program proposed ~ the
Administration aud q before Congress-
designed to mset M II dms both the
aaval ana peace needs of our merchant ma
ttna II Tie next article | shall discuss
tAasss psace needs. nsA