Imperial Valley press., 1922-04-05
SUBSIDY
URGED By
LASKER
BY LAWRENCE NJ. BENEDICT
United Press Staff Correspondent)

Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON. April 4-America S
naval strength win not be on n 5-5-3
ratio with Great Britain and Japan, as
provided by the naval limitation treaty
of the Arms Conference. if this c0un-
try does not maintain u strong mer-
chant marine. which can be used in
time of war as naval auxiliary, Chair
man Albert ID. Lasker of the Shipping
Board declared today before joint
meeting of the senate commerce and
the house merchant marine committee.
He appeared to open hearings on the
ship subsidy hill recently urged upon
congress by President Harding.
Government aid is essential for the
marine. I.as&er said Governmental
operation is impossible, he added.
The chairman claimed that the ship
ping board is now losing $5o,0O0,OO0
IN operating the marine, not counting
interest. insurance and depreciation on
invested capital. 1t would cost the
treasury not more than S40,O00,OOO a
wear under the subsidy, he said. Real
results then would be obtained, where
rs now the defect brings little of, bene-
III TO I%dShti tb''NN'
Realizing that the strongest Opposi-
ton to the subsidy is coming from the
farmer and labor groups, Lasker
sought to show that the subsidy is in
the interest of both. Unless we have a
strong marine, foreign nations will buy
elsewhere, because of the exchange
rates, he said. The recent farm de
preston. Laskcr said was due to a
slump in the export trade. The sub
sidy, he asserted, would aid in main
tanning American labor standards on
American vessels and in shipy2rds and
the increased foreign trade would ben
eft the working man. 4 3fatl
Lasker was confident that with the
subsidy the government could soon
dispose of all the ships it owns Com
paratively no ships have been sold, he
said.
1.-The matter under consideration
Lasker said. is not merely one of sub
sidy; il involves what shall be done to
end the large losses of governmental
operation of ships through the Finer
geney Fleet Corporation; what shall be
done to insure the overseas carriage of
Americans surplus products in times
of peace; and it involves, in Importance
possibly beyond all these questions:
whether America, through the posses
sion of an adequate merchant marine,
shall be self-sustainiug and selfsuffi-
cient on the seas in times of war.
Changed Conditions
1.-The World war has changed prac-
tieally every phase of human life.
America emerges from that war hold
ing first economic place in the world.
She finds herself creditor nation in
stead of debtor nation; and whether
we will il or no, we are now east for
continuing first place on the stake of
world commerce.
There can be no return to pre-
war basis.
No one has a greater interest in an
established American merchant marine
than the farmer of our country, be
cause il is in the sale of his surpluses
abroad that his entire prosperity is
involved.
Having agreed 70 a naval program
of j-J-3. we can have no thought or
hope of actual naval equality unless
we can supply and bunker our navy
through our own merchant ships, in
time of wai, should that unhappily
come again.
ITO the extent that we fail TO sup
PLY ourselves with an adequate mer-
chant marine Of the type and number
20 balance the naval strength allotted
20 Us in the Washington conference, we
should 10 away with the maintenance
of capital naval ships. We can not
fool ourselves; we only are ON j-j-3
naval basis with Great Britain and