Evening star., 1922-11-27
STABS At SHIP BILL
BLAMED ON ALIENS
Studied Propaganda Direct.
ed by Foreign interests,
Says PIummer.
U. S. COMPETITION FEARED
68 Per Cent of American Exports
Declared at Stake in Mer-
chant Marine Issue.
Bv the Associated Press.

Ry the Associated Press.
MILWAUKEE. Wis. November II.
British and other foreign shipping
interests and journals are engaged
in a studied campaign Of misrepre-
sentation and propaganda to defeat
the American ship subsidy bill. Ed
the United States Shipping Board.
declared in speech prepared Tor
delivery today before the middle west
merchant marine and foreign trade
conference.
Alarmed at the possibility that the
American ships will take from them
some 6S per cent of American exports
which are now carried in foreign
ships. the foreign shipping interests
are using every possible means to
discourage the upbuilding OF the mer-
chant marine in this country. Mr..
Pluumer said.
"They've been feeding their cattle
In our pasture so long that they've
come to think they own the land" he
declared. so when we start to put IN
some stock of our own they proceed
to charge US with about everything
from trespass to manslaughter
Every sort of discrimination has
been practiced against American
ships in foreign trade. Mr.. Plummer
said. but when Americans propose 20
do a little discriminating in favor OF
their own vessels British interests
charge the United States is trying 10
create monopoly.
What Is the Answers
when giant American corpora tions
Ike the Bethlehem Company and the
cially stronger than any European
steamship concern and both of them
shipbuilders as we'll as shipowners,
find it necessary to close fneir own
shipyards and have their own car.
goes carried by foreign vessels. what
is the answer" Mr. PIummer asked
when such as they find. as they
did. that they can charter foreign
vessels for less money than 1t takes
merely to operate their own steamers
under the American flag. what IS the
sense of setting up the claim-aS op-
ponents of American shipping do
that American ships without govern
snent aid can compete with foreign
ships in carrying the commerce OF
the United States"
1T cannot be done. Every prac-
tical shipping man knows tnat IL
can't be done; every man who has in
tellisently studied the problem knows
that it can't be done, and. therefore.
every man who opposes government :
aid TO American shipping is opposed
10
corporations to do our work. He may
not realize it, but that is the TACT Just
the same.
cites Australian Law.
Mr.. Plummer pointed out that by
discriminatory law in Australia
American exports to that country
paid an extra duty equal to the cost
of transportation from the factory to
a Pacific port. il shipped over Ameri-
can railroads and in American ships.
but the same exports escaped this
duty If shipped to Vancouver over
Canadian railroads and from there in
British vessels.
AS an example of the hack OF fair
play accorded American vessels. he
cited the case of the steamer Eten.
which called at Cape Town. South AZ
RIGA, while en- route home two years
ago. The Cape Town wharves were
piled with freight consigned to Amer
ica which freight the owners there
of were anxious to send along In this
vessel. but were deferred from doins
30 by the threatened loss Of rebates
" hirh had accrued TO them from the
British conference lines. and the Eten
came away rom Cape Town still
empty.