Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-02-28
GRAND FORKS HERALD, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY q slesa.

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should have as much concern for the
promotion Of sals9 as for the facih-
ftatton ne our purchases, Ehere y not
q record in all history OF long ma1H-
tatn6As}srnlA renee inSexpOrt trades4g0x-
ceptsaSs fHe exporting nations -
veloped% their own CARRYING capacity.
4s'N0setQry Of national developIneflt
nance 10 that 81 developing capacity
tor thesexahanEes Of commerce. HI.
panding civilization may be traesd
over The avenues OF. exchanging
oIrEoes. No matter how mAtArtAliatic
itmay sound. nations have >deyeieped
for. themselvSs and have Influenced
the world almost precisely "a they
have promoted their commerce We
which have been incident thereto.
When commerce has heenSdestroyed
fading glories have attended. Y
cit will. avail nothing to attempt
even the brjefest resume Of u EFFORTS
to establish that American Importance
In commerce carrying on the high
E which was recorded in ( tho
aspiration is nationwide.
Mighty years age the aspiration
found. expression lin aa2moyement to
terpfise which individual genius
seemingly had failed. It would be
ditt1cult corTertly to appra1sess. the
policy, because the world war put an
end to all normal actiyities, before we
turned to feverish and costly activi-
ties by the call OF the Allied powers
for shipping, without which they
could not hope to survive.
IA people indifferent to the vital
necessity of q merchant marine>to the
national Defense, QnEFudeingly, ex.
pended at.flve times the cost o.
ated billions where millions q been
denied before. We acquired vast
tonnage.
100000 Gross Tonnage.
THE war program and that com,
gave vi something
than twelve million gross tonnage. not
counting the folly Of the wood con-
struction at q total outlay Of ap-
p~roxinately three and one-half bill
lions Of dollars. n
Second Largest Tonnage. Z.
"But We have our ships, the second
largest tonnage in the world, ana we
have the aspiration. aye, let me, say,
the determination to establish a ,ner-
chant marine commensurate with our
commercial importance. Our problem
is to turn the ships and our experience
and aspirations into the effective de-
yelopment of an ocean going shipping
service without which there can be no
assurance of maintained commercial
eminence, >
Nobody pretends any longer that
shipping Is a matter OF concern only
to the ports involved. Commerce of
seas is quite as vital to the great In
terror as it is to our coast territory
east, south or west. Shipping 10 no
more a sectional interest than is ag-
ricultural or manufacturing. No. one
Of them can be prospered alone.
Endorses Waterway.
"If we had q new manifestation of
this broadened vision in the anthuei-
asm of the great middlewest for the
proposed Great Lakes-St. Lawrence
waterway by which it. is intended to
connect the Great Lakes ports with
the marts Of the world. There is far
seeing vision in the proposal and this
great and commendable enterprise,
deserving our favorable consideration
is inseparable from q great merchant
marine.
What then ia Y problem. ! bring
to you the suggestions which have re-
suited from a comprehensive study
which ara recommended to me by ev-
cry member of the United States
shipping board. 1t is the program of
direct and indirect aid to shipping to
be conducted by private enterprise.
It is proposed to apply generally the