, 1922-06-21

leVter 10 Representative mona
proval of the plan to press the
to congress by the house.
Presenting a detailed statement Of
reasons favoring passage of the BIN at
this session, the president. in his ht-
ter made public today. declared the
public interest would not permit VI
postponenent until the December sea-
sion in viev Of n LOGS entailed by the
governments ship holdings which the
bill Ia designed eventually to get into
private hands.
Despite every drive toward econ
omy." this loss. the president. pointed
out, amounted to more han fifty mill
lion dollars during the nscal ear now
closing.
Asserting the question was mot to
be prejudiced by the old and worn out
cry against snbssdy.> Harding urged
that II that was used ito awzken
public hostility" n be emphasized that
I'VE are substituting today by paying
losses OF fifty millions q year for In
adequate service OF no permanence
while tho pending measure contem-
plates no such outlay" Tho two out
standing problems TO be met in the
legislation. he said. are the handling
OF 'our shipping assets to h highest
advantage and tho establishment of
an efficient merchant marine as an
ogency OF m and an "indis-
pensdble element of defense" rs we'll
President Harding's letter 70 MI.
AondeiI read in part as follows;
my Dear Mr.. Mondell:
You have been advised by those
who have discussed the matter with
me In personal interview that 1 am IN
complete accord with the opinion of
leaders amorg tho majority in the
| house that the Anal consideration OF
the merchant marine bill in the house,
might well be postponed until approx
imateiy such time as house members
/ Will be called in active attendance to
send the tariff bill to conference. 1
am writing to give formal confirma-
ton and TO express he satisfaction
| with which 1 contemplate having this
measure taken directly by members to
ltheir constituencies for such reactions
rs will enable them to trsnsiate the
f~aenbcrate preference Of the country
into a national policy fixed by aw.
III IL NCIc ClAC1 ~
| action on a or such IMPORT
| ance in the sixty actual working days
| of the short term OF congress. l would
gladly postpone action until after me
general elections n ask a renewed
expression OF the people at the polls
UNFORTUNATELY for such a program
| the national interests will not admit
| OF such postponement and I should
| feel myself remiss in a public duty
IL I did not ask n decision before the
present session is finally ended.
in spite of every drive toward econ
| omv the plain. blunt truth is that
| government shipping has cost the
treasury more than a fifty million
dollar loss during tho fiscal year nov
! chasing. This does not include depre
| citation or deterioration running into
millions more. and we have q pracn
cnl problem which cannot be ignored
by either the executive Or Legislative
branch of the government. or by thu
American people OF every section, VIII
must supply The treasury funds.
I'VE have two outstanding problems
which must be met, in the solution oil
which n must share h res
ponsjbiiity and regarding which Their
can be but one opinion when oui
people are acquainted with the facts
assets to the highest advantage with
lout continued loss to tho public
trearury. The other is the establish
Iment OF an efficient merchant marine
when opportunity is reckoning as new
err before as an agency OF commerce
and an evenue to influence in peace
and an indispensable element of de
Tense if we are again involved II
war.
" The question is not TO be pre-
JUDGED by the old and worn out CT,
against subsidy. II there is insistenI
use of a term so long employed te
awaken a public hostility, let 1t b
known hat we are ~subsidizing today
by paving losses a~ggregating fifty
million a year, for inadequate service
OF no permanence while the pending
measure contemplates no such outlay
. Moreover, the term subsidy
implying bestowal upon special inter
ests can no longer be applied to a
public service where the aid is ex
blended onIy until a normal earning
is developed and must be returned
after the earnings reach a ten per
cent return on acual Investment, Ger
tilted under government audits. Al
this the pending measure provides.
"In the new ORDER of the world We
shall no longer be self-contained, bu'
in shipping we must become self-re'
liant. We ask no favors, but we dc
believe in American genius and capa
city. One is the handling of our ship
ping under equal opportunity"