The daily times., 1922-01-27
PRESIDENT To ASK
GOVERNMENT HELP
FOR OCEAN TRADE
.PRO-AMERICAN ISSUE
The Presidents Plan Would
Have American Ships Oper-
ating Without Direct Aid in
Ten Years; Privately Owned
Ship Companie. Can Make
Money, Why Not Others.
(By David Lawrence.)

Copyright 1922 by The Daily
Times.)
Washington, Jan. 26.-PresidentI
Harding will go to Congress in "a
fortnight and read a special message
advocating government aid to an
American merchant marine.
After several months of study, a.
plan has been completed which takes
into account many of the traditional
prejudices against ship subsidies and
attempts at the same time to save
the American government from i'm
mense loss in the future on the ships
involuntarily placed in it's possession
during the war.
be made by private operators is one
feature, and a system of indirect as
well as direct aids is another.
The President has given his ap
proval to the Lasker plan which con-
templates putting the American mer
chant marine on paying basis in a
short time by means of a temporary
subsidy. 1t means that instead of a
permanent subsidy, the plan when
worked out will within ten years
make it possible for American ships
to operate without direct aid. The
plan looks toward the stimulation of
the American merchant marine rath-
er than to permanent bounties.
The President has approved the
deep waterways project whereby the
Great Lakes will be closer to the
ocean going trade and get the direct
benefit of an increased merchant
marine. This will probably insure
the support of the agricultural mid
die west which has hitherto been
lukewarm to subsidy programs.
The subject will be non-partisan
one as leading Democrats like Sen
ator Ransdell of Louisiana and other
members of Congress from southern
states with ocean ports will be vital
| ly interested in the success of the
program.
| Briefly, the system of indirect aid
contemplates an amendment to exist
ing law whereby traffic TO and from
the Philippines shall be considered
as "coastwise trade" Only American
ships can ply in coastwise trade and
the inclusion of the Philippines ip
coastwise trade will materially help
American ships plying through the
Panama Canal and from Pacific ports
to the Philippines. Similarly it is
INTENDED to give American ships the
business hitherto done by the army
transport service. Also, it will be pro-
vided by law that at least fifty per
Icent of the immigrants coming to the
United States shall travel in Amer
Iican ships.
These three systems of indirect aid
will in many cases bring in enough
revenue to enable private American
lship companies to operate at profit
without any further government aid.
The hope is that eventually all ship
ping concerns will be able to get
la1ong with indirect aid.
The Governments plan contem-
iplates system of automatic diminu-
ttion< of direct aid as soon as revenue
from the indirect aid approximates a
fixed percentage of profit. In other
words when shipping companies
make a profit by one form of govern
ment help, they will not be entitled
to any direct financial support. Un-
der no circumstances can the private
; concerns make exorbitant profits. The
! ingenious mind of Chairman Laskel
| has been at work for months on just
this problem with the result that q
hole-proof scheme has been evolved
i Those who have seen the plan diff.
|, fer in their estimates of its worth de.
} pending upon their own interests
) Strangely enough certain American
(Contjnueds on Rage b