The Washington times., 1922-10-15

could b obtained. but whea there
was no steel and no plants 70 con.
struct ships and the demand was
for anything that could carry
: mutations or supplies to France.
wooden ships were built a. the only
J, possible makeshift. They would
have served . good purpose in the
exigency and more than paid for
themselves II the war had con.
tinued Q year longer. ~ all military
men felt sure Il would not end
until late In 1919. II 90 soon.
SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUNK.
What ought to have been done
after the troops were brought home
was to have destroyed all the
wooden ships built and building
and counted them In the same class
with the shells and smokeless pow
der and torpsdoea used during the
war. This country would have
saved millions Of dollars. But nm.
informed Public Opinion. against
ssrappins ships that cost % much
paonsy. stood IN the way Of the
course, ana Congressional stupid.
ity added TO the war costs by not
CONT cling their sinking without
more ado, "
Politics p,aysd . part In saving
them frorn aseociation with No.
0inty at the bottom Of The So II
wss good campaisn talk to point 10
billions of dollafs' worth Of ships
rottanS In the harhors. II was easy
to prove incompstsncs and sxtrav.
agance II &he evidence was In sight.
And there hsd bean extrayssancs
without doubt. but the worst piece
OF marine sxtravAgancs In al the
war was keeping the wooden ships
until last month. And one Of the
sorrisst pieces Of partisan politics
was that which made the people
bsiisss thst the wooden ships built
during the war. >Sndt others con.
styuctsd for war purposes. should
BE- regarded % ~, asset toward Q
1T great merchant marine.
Before 1916 the American flag
was seldom seen on the seven seas
except on the few naval vessels In
foreign wAtera Then" to quote
Senator fiuar. 'ft was the most
beautiful sight their syes ever rest.
ed upon"
II had not always been %. There
was q time when America was
proud Of its merchant marine. In
the early days. sven before our
Independence. ocean.bound com
merce on American ships was one
Of the biggest assets OF the new
country. II was to protect this
asset that the war In 1912 guar
anteed "the freedom of the seas"
PROMOTED COMsdERCE.
The best tariff law in the history
of the United States was the
Walker tariff In force In the fifties.
It operated % well and we pros.
pered % largely under It that
James q. Blaine said It had come
to be accepted and approved by
the whole country. But for the
war in the sixties the Walker tar
iff would have been undiSturbed.
That tariff act encouraged q sue
cessful merchant marine and pro-
NOTED the Interchange Of products.
The conditions prevailing under
the Walker tariff were 20 helpful
to an American merchant marine
that In 1885 American ships car
ried over ~ per cent Of the i'm.
ports into this country. That was
the period Of national wisdom that
should return.
Afterward We adopted . tariff
policy Of national isolation and
nonsxchanss Of surplus products.
with what result7 our carrying
by our merchant marine steadily
sunk uptil IN 1870 we carried only
% per- cant. A continuation Of
the narrow policy brought down
tie proportions In 1918 to II. per
cent. shipbdiidins In the United
. States had ceased to bs . trade
soA hsA ,~>,cv,nA 4 rsSA