Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1922-11-21

pended approximately three bill
lions, feverishly. extravagantly,
wastefully and impractically. out
OF our eagerness TO make up for
the omission OF peace and 20 meet
the war emergency we builded and
otherwise acquired the vast mer-
chant feet which the government
owns today.
In the simplest way can say &c.
our immediate problem is not TO
build and support a merchant
shipping, which I hold 10 be one
OF the highest and most worthy
aspirations OF any great people;
our problem Is 10 deal with what
We now possess. Our problem Is
10 relieve the public treasury of
the drain II Is already meeting.
Let us omit particulars about the
frenzied wartime building. Pos
sibly we did as well as could have
been done in the anxious circum-
stances. Let us pass for the mo-
ment the vital relationship be-
tween a merchant marine and a
commercial aspiring nation. Aye.
let us suppose for a moment and
pass the absurdity that with one
$4,000, 900, 900 experience and with
the incalculable costs in lives and
treasure which may be chargeable
TO our inability promptly TO apply
our potency which God forbid
happening again-let us momen-
tari!y ignore all OF these and turn
to note the mere business problem.
the particular question OF dollars
and cents with which we are con-
fronted.
The war construction and the
later completion of war contracts,
where completion was believed 20
be the greater economy 10 the
public treasury. left Us approx
mately 100000 gross TONNAGE in
ships. The figures are nearer H.
500. 900 tons now. owing TO the
scrapplng Of the wooden fleet.
More than half this tonnage Is
government owned and approx
mately 2.25O.000 tons are under
government operation in one form
or another. The net loss 20 the
United States treasury-sums act
uaily taken therefrom in this gov
eminent operation-averaged ap-
proximateiy SIS, 900 900 per month
during the year prior TO the as
sumption of responsibility by the
present administration. A constant
warfare on this loss OF public
funds, and the draft 10 service OF
capable business management and
experienced operating directors
have resulted in applied efficiency
and enforced economies. II Is very
gratifying 10 report the dimunition
of the losses to 100000 per
month. or a total OF S50.0O0,0 600 a
year; but Il is intolerable that the
government should continue a
policy from which so enormous a
treasury loss is the inevitable out
come. This loss. moreover attends
operation OF less than a third OF
the government owned fleet.
Il Is not, therefore. a question
OF adding new treasury burdens 10
maintain our shipping; we are
paving these burdens now. It is
now a question Of contracting an |
outlay to support our merchant
shipping, because we are paying
already. I am not asking your
authorization OF new and added
draft on the public treasury.
am appealing for a program 10
diminish the burden we are al
ready bearing.
When your executive govern
ment knows of public expendi-
lures aggregating fifty millions
annually, which it believes could
be reduced through a change OF
policy. your government would be
unworthy ~ such a change were
not commended. nay II It were not
insistently urged.
And the pity OF It Is that our
present expenditures in losses Is
not constructive. 1t looks 10 no
future attainments. II is Utterly
ineffective in the establishment OF
a dependable merchant marine.
whereas. the encouragement OF
private ownership and the apph-
cation OF Individual initiative
would make for a permanent ere
alton ready and answerable at all
times 10 the needs OF the nation
But have not properly por-
trayed all the current losses 10 the
public treasury. We are wearing
out ships without any provision
for replacement. We are having
these losses through deterioration
now and are charging nothing
against our capital. But the
osses are there and regrettably
larger under government opera
ton than under private control.
The gloomy picture OF losses
does not end even there. Not
withstanding the war cost Of three
billions dollars for the parent ton
mage I will not venture to appraise
it's cash value today.
When the question is asked why
the insistence for the merchant
arine act now. the answer is
apparent Waving every inspir-
alton which lies in a constructive
plan for. maintaining our flag on
the commercial highways OF the
seas, waving the prudence in'
safeguarding against another So
900. 900. 900 madness II war ever
again impels, we have the I'M
avoidable task of wiping out
$50, 100000 annual loss in opera
ton and losses aggregatlng many
hundreds OF millions in wornout
sacrificed, or strapped shipping. ,
Then the supreme humiliation. the
admission that the United States,
our America once eminent among
thn n, a r.itirran r,atinne Of Tho wnrld !