Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-08-27

ping Board b. President Hard
ms.
Ey George l.. Chamberlain,
Of oregon. Commissioned OF the
United States shipping Board for
the Northern section OF the
Pacific Coast.
To those Of us who have mad. a
close study of world shipping it l..
always surprising That for may Years
America has hccne content TO do with
out the great merchant marine that
nj one tim" gave her mastery %. the
seas. II is even moro SURPRISING.
now. when conditions arising on; o.
| 'hc World War have furnished us
! an opportunity TO regain what w."
| !os'' that there * stll Indifference
! In many sections of the country to-
ward reaching out and grusping mat
| opportunity.
! | sometimes feel that one OF the
| obstacles placed In the way or tho
| successful Development Of our u.r
chant marine is to tc found In the
| severe SiriCtUres which are INDUCED
III aSainS, the agents OF The gov
( eminent and In the iteration and re-
Iteration OF the charge that Il Is i'm
possible. to successfully build ana
maintain an American merchant ma
rine.
The secret ana uy!dlous foreign
ihhuence that seeks by proDauando
ana otherwise 10 destroy America's
ehorts reJ"ices In these structures
and criticisms ana utilizcs them m
/ prejudice the American people m.
S'ocKholdcrs In that cnterprIsc
against lending their financial and
other support Ia its successful ne
coinpi!Shmcnt. II instead OF crl,i
! cIsm ihey would Specialize for a
Whl!" and max. an impartial nui
diSinicr"sted study OF the whole sun
Jet, they would commend rather
man "uc"nsciously assist in DESTROY
'hE an !ns;Tumcntality which is ali.
Solut"'% essential IN this age OF com
'e'it!on for tn" Development OF uur
agricultural. commcrciai and indus.
trial life
\i""'s Wnrs In Scif-Dr.cn>e.
~ - ana has been the proud bon,,
/ p's america thar She has not nj snv
! 'ime Ia her history entered ,!pon n
war of aggression or OF conu,ics,
Whenever She has been involvo in
/ war II has been waged in solf
ac'shsc or in the maintenance OF some
",sh ana !o!ty principle. Her peo-
PIE arc idealisis. while many OF her
competitors for world trade ana
S''.ttest' sense of tho terms When
Ierica has UP for consideration a
! question as TO step that nigh, he
taken for her own Advancement IN
inc world Of competition. .hc IL an,
! 10 ask herself, How will the o,he-
/ powers look upon the taking of ,his
stcpf Vow vii! 1t arect them even
,ho"hh u j" beneficial To America 90
u course which would he bcnc-
I..-
furious Z" another power. or "a, least
looked upon by that power. whc,hcr
justly or not as an cncroachlucu,
upon interests America holds hack
ms Is tn. viewpoint and course ~,
'hc ldeaiis'ic nation Did anyou,
/ ever Knox Of time In the his,orv
OF The British empire when SHE .ycr
put to herself IN" question as 10
no" other powers would b. affected
Whe'h"r in1uriously or otherwise. by
course she had mapped out for
herseif that would be beneficial To
hcr people? The question she has
usually asked herself. and IL seems
10 mo II Is tho question chat we
ought TO ask ourselves, is-does tbc
| proposed step affect bcncnciallv ~,
/ otherwise the British empire and
1 hcr poSsessions"-and IL the ounu
( ton he answered in the affirmative
! 'hht step is taken unless il nigh,
'ftspass upon the rights Of other
peoples as to invite war
Didn't Consider Anirricn
Innumcrhblc instances might bc
, given Is illustrate tn, MONT now
made but / VIII only take few
When tho AuHlo-Japancse alliance
was entered into. | think II safe 10
say that no consideration was given
! 10 Americas views or as to whether
America would be injuriousiy affected
or not. but the question was. how
would IL affect the high contracting
parties? The alliance was formed. to
20 modihed or abrogated. if you
please, only when the disarmament
conference convened and dissolved an
alliance which was unpopular not
| only III America but rs well i'm some
81 the Colonial possessions OF Great
| britain. / am not complaining of
'h!s course: am simply illustrating
me proposition which am now urg-
/ ing Acain, when British CORPORA
/ tons were formed under the Hong
! Kong ordinances. to do business in
CHINA with American financial inter
estS dominating In the management
and control of some Of such corDo.
tanons, 1t was afterwards dccrced
by orders in council that these cor
! porations. even when under American
/ control. must he under the manage
ment of British subjects. The uucs-
! ton was not asked--what will Amer
lea think Of this course and how will
| IT AFFECT American interests. but how
would II affect British interests and
| the interests of British subjects I'm
the Orient. The result was that large
American interests were placed under
| British control and many American
houses practically driven out Of bust
! ness In Shanghai and other ports OF
China. Again. I am not complaining,
| but merely illustrating further the
/ proposition which make. Congress
has been appealed to for legislation
TO meet the situation. but il has
not been passed as yet.
| Perverted Viewpoint.
| 1t is discouraginE indeed to those
who are attempting to build UP and
maintain our merchant marine, when
| they arc confronted by the sugsca-
! ton OF many of our business men.
/ that there tx no sense in attempting
| TO maintain feet OF American mcr-
| chant ships when some foreign power
| operating ships under foreign flags
Is willing TO take cargoes cheaper
| than American ships can Oxford to
Il