New-York tribune., 1922-06-17

renee and wari The alternatives arc
plain. Either make II possible for
private enterprise 70 take this nucleus
which we now have and add 20 u until
IL becomes q great and efficient entity
an American merchant marine. or re-
fuse the relatively slight amount OF
aid necessary therefor and continue NJ
a great expense the inefficient method
Of government operation until the
ships nre worn out.
"The purpose OF government opera
ton. as clearly outlined in the mer-
chant marine act Of 1920. was that the
government might build up its trade
routes until purchasers could be found
ready 20 take over the ships upon cs-
tablished routes and, with that neces-
sary element, the good will Of the ship
pers. Unfortunately. this policy has
% a great extent worked 20 defeat its
own purpose. for IN the upbuilding OF
those routes the government has oper-
ated ships and in the operation Of
the ships has driven is potential Gus
toners OF the seas.
when private American ship
owner is competing with private
British shin owner, with all the handi-
caps under which the American owner
suffers. his competitor Is 81 least
bound By the limitations Of q finite
capital. His resources arc not endless
and he cannot forever compete in q
losing trade When an American ship
owner has to compete with his own
government. vtvcr. he has not only
the foreign competitor. but az the same
time has in the Acld a competitor whose
resources arc, comparatively speaking.
limitless The result cannot be IN
doubt Continuation Of a marine part
goyernmcnt-owncd and party privately
owned simply means that the private
owners will be driven out Of business"
Much space IS then given by the re-
port 20 q discussion Of disadvantages
" government operation, in which il
declares Successful government oper-
alton, directly or indirectly, is an i'm
possibility"
No Market for Tonnage
AT the present time there is. by
and large. no market for our vast ton
age the report continues. Compared
20 the total tonnage built by the gov
crnmcnt, practically no tonnage has
been disposed o. After thorough con-
sideration. in January last. the Ship
ping Board decided 10 sell It's tonnage
at world market prices; and on is
steel frcighters, after careful investi-
cation. IL found this 10 be a minimum II
$50 per ton for the best tonnage. So
difficult is the situation for an owner
Of American tonnage to-day that even
~ these prices it hag been able 20 dis
pose &C but 100 600 deadwcight OF 65,-
900 gross tons. Nor can we see any
great hope Of disposirg Of an appre-
ciablo part Of the total tonnage we
have, unless. through government aid,
the difference between the cost OF our
operation and that Of the foreigner is
provided for. and thereby automatically
the competition Cf wasteiul govern
mcnt operation ~ removed.
"By the extending of moderate
amount OF national aid tho mainten-
ance OF adequate American service
under private ownership can be in
suTed and the governments heavy loss
can be ended. Only by making pri-
ratc opcratioh profitable can the gov
eminent find q morkct for its own tom
mage. With such aid We can prom pity
dispose OF our salahle ships for pri-
vate operation. get rid Of our WORTH
!css tonnage and IN annual operating
loss OF $50 600 900, give our people n
better ana more assured service on
the seas than America has ever en-
joyed heretofore, and successfuliy turn
a wartime and war-buiit enterprise
into a great instrument OF peace-time
profit ard peace insurance