Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-11-22

new and added draft on the public |
treasury; I am appealing for a pro-
gram to diminish the burden we are |
already bearing.
I'VE are wearing out our ships
without any provision for replace
ments. We are having these losses
through deterioration now and are
charging nothing against our capital
account. But the losses are there
and regrettably larger under gov
eminent operation than under priv
ate control. Only a few years Of con-
tinued losses on capital account will
make these losses through deprecia-
ton alone to exceed the fifty mill
lions year now drawn to cover
losses in operation. The gloomy
picture of losses does not end even
there. Notwithstanding the known
war cost of three billions of dollars
for the present tonnage. l will not
venture to appraise its cash value
today.
1.-The point is that our feet, cost
ing approximately three billions is
worth only a fraction of that cost
today. Whatever that fraction may
be, the truth remains that we have
no market in which to sell the ships
which under our present policy and
a program of surrender and sacrifice
and the liquidation which is newt
able unless the pending legislation is
sactioned. will cost scores of nil
lions more.
when the question is asked, Why
the insistence for the merchant mar
inc act now? The answer is appar-
ent. Waving every inspiration
which lies in a constructive plan for
maintaining our rag on the CONNER
cial highways of the seas, waving
the prudence in safeguarding against
another $3,0O0,O0O.0O0 madness if
war ever again impels, we have the
unavoidable task of wiping out a
$50, 900, 600 annual loss i'll operation
and losses aggregating many hun
dreds of millions in worn out, sacri-
feed or strapped shipping. Then
the supreme humiliation, the admis-
sion that the United States-our
America once eminent among the
maritime nations of the worlds
peace triumphs on the seas of the
world.
This problem cannot longer be
ignored, its attempted solution can
not longer be postponed. The fail
ure of Congress to act decisively will
be no less disastrous than adverse
action.
Three courses of action are pos
sibe and the choice among them is
no longer to be avoided.
The first is constructive-enact
the pending bill, under which firm
ly believe an American merchant
marine, privately owned and private
ly operated, but serving all the peo-
pie and always obedient to the gov
eminent in any emergency, may be
established and maintained.
The second is bstructive-continue
government operations and attending
government losses and discourage
private enterprise by government
competition, under which losses are
met by the public treasury, and wit
ness the continued losses and deter
ioration until the colossal failure
ends in sheer exhaustion.
The third is MISUNDERSTANDING
the sacrifice of our ships abroad or
the scrapping Of them at home, the
surrender of our aspirations and the
confession of our impotence to the
world in general and our humiliation
before the competing world in par
ticular.
choice among the three is en-
evitable. 1t is unbelievable that the
American people or the Congress
which expressed their power will
consent to surrender and destruction.
1t is equally unbelievable that our
people and the Congress which tran
states their wishes into action will
longer sustain a program of con-
struction and attending losses to the
treasury.
l have come to urge the construc-
1--WE alternative, to reassert an
American 1--WE will" have come to
ask you to relieve the responsible
administrative branch of the gov
eminent from a program upon which
failure and hopelesSness and stagger-
ing losses are written for every page.
and let us turn to a program of as
sured shipping to serve us in war
and to give guaranty to our CONNER
cial independence in peace 49,.
II government aid is the proper
designation for fifteen to forty mill
hons annually expended to improve
and maintain inland waterways in
and OF commerce, it is a proper desig-
nation for needed assistance to es-
tablish and maintain ocean high
ways where there is actual commerce
to be carried.
But call it subsidy" since there
are those who prefer to appeal to
mistaken prejudice rather than make
frank and logical argument. We
might so call the annual loss of fiftv
millions which we are paving now
without protest by those who most
abhor-we might as well call that a
Subsidy"
IL SO, l am proposing to cut it in
nalf. approximately, and to the saw
Ing thus effected there would be add
co millions upon millions of further
savings through ending losses on
capital account-governme capital
out of the public treasury and there |
would be at least the promise and
the prospect of the permanent es- |
adjustment of the needed merchant |
marine. l am appealing to save the |
treasury. Perhaps the unlimited |
bestowal Of government aid might |