The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-02-28

Washington, Feb. 2S-(Ry the AS
ssociated Press.)-The text of Presi-
dent Harding's address to Congress
today on government aid for the
American merchant marine follows:
Members of Congress:
when addressing the Congress last
December l reported to you the fail
ure of the executive to carry out the
the intent of certain features of the
merchant marine act of 1920, notably
the provision for the notice of can
collation. of all commercial treaties
which hindered our grant of discrimi-
mating duties on imports brought to
our shores in American ships. There
was no doubt about the high purpose
of Congress to apply this proven prac'
tice TO the upbuilding of our merchant
marine. 1t had proven most effective
in the earlier days of American ship
ping; it had, at various times, demon
strated its effectiveness in the up
building of commercial shipping for
ether nations.
"The success of the earlier practice
for this republic came at time when
We had few treaties, when our COM
merce was little developed. Its super
sedure by reciprocity in shipping reg
ulations, and the adoption of other
methods of upbuilding merchant ma
rines, through various forms of gov
ernment aid, and the century of nego-
tiation of commercial treaties, all
combine to develop situation which
should lead to endless embarrass-
ment, if we denounced our treaties.
We should not only be quite alone in
supporting a policy long since super
seeded through the growing intimacy
of International relationships but we
should invite the disturbance of those
cordial commercial relations which
are the first requisite to the expen-
sion, of our commerce abroad.
Contemplating the readiness of
Congress to grant decreased duty on
imports brought to our shores in
American bottoms, and facing the
embarrassments incident to readiust-
ment of all treaty arrangements, it
seemed desirable to find way of ap-
plying suitable aid to our shipping,
which the Congress clearly intended
and at the same time avoid the EN-
barrassment of our trade relation
ships abroad.
"The recommendation of today is
based wholly on this commendable in
tent of Congress. The proposed aid
of the government to its merchant
marine is to have it's chief source i'll
the duties collected on imports. In
stead of applying the discriminating
duty to the specific cargo, and thus
encouraging only the inbound ship
ment, l propose that we shall collect
8 all import duties, without discrimina-
ton as between American and for
eign bottoms and apply the heretofore
proposed reduction to create fund
for the governments aid to our mer-
chant marinechant marine.
"By such a program we shall en-
courage not alone the carrying of in
bound tonnage on which no duties
are levied, and, more important than
these, we shall equip our merchant
I larine to serve our outbound COM
merce, which is the measure of our
eminence in foreign trade.
1T is interesting to not, in connec-
ton with the heretofore proposed
plan of discriminating tariffs on i'm
ports, carried to our shores. in Amer
ican bottoms, that the total value of
Z dlI 1oHOs IA oAA
vessels, was $1,985,865,00, while the
cargoes admitted free of duty, on
which no discrimination was possible.
were valued at 3,115,958,000. The ac-
tual tonnage comparison is even more
significant from the viewpoint or
cargo carrying, because the dutiable
cargoes were 25,000,000 tons.
The larger employment, by two and
a half times, was in non-dutiable ship
ments.
Continued trade must be recipro-
CAL We cannot long maintain sales
where we do not buy.
"It will avail nothing to attempt ev-
en- the briefest resume of our own ef-
forts to re-establish that American
importance in commerce carrying on
the high seas which was recorded in
the earlier days of the republic. The
aspiration is nationwide.
"The conflict between two schools
OF political thought heretofore has de-
feated all efforts to employ the gov
ernmental aid which other nations
found advantageous while we held
aloof, and the terms subsidy and
'subvertion' were made more or less
hateful to the American public. But
the nationwide desire to restore our
kaer&hanf marine has outlived all de.
H1 Nis1 every costly failure.
F&Afe $50 the aspiration
&. !.