Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-11-24
We Need Ships
For Our Cargoes
How To Have Them

BoaTu addressed the Boston Chanbe
of Commerce today.
He spoke of the part Massachusetts
had borne in the pioneer building and
sailing Of American ships, at time
when England declared:
las concerning ships, it is that
which everyone knoweth and can say;
they are our weapons, they are our or
naments. they are our strength, they
are our pleasures, they are our defense
they are our profit; the subject by
them is made rich. the kingdom
through them. strong; the Prince in
them is mighty, in word, by them in
manner, we live. the kingdom is. the
King reigneth.'
Our forefathers were children of
the sea. 1t was from the sea, from
the ships of our enemy, that the fear
less mariners of Revolutionary days
snatched those supplies which brought
success to Washington at Dorchester
Heights;, it was from this port that
there went out the venturesome Col
umbia" that found, and gave her name
to. the Pacific's mighty river, thus
stalking the claim that gave to this
country an empire in the great North
west.
1T was wealth won from commerce
that did measureless work in chang
ing 5000 miles of untrodden wilderness
into rich and populous states; and it
is upon commerce now that the fullest
prosperity of this country must rest.
THE men who founded this Govern
ment were strong; they had not merely
knowledge; they had wisdom. They
chartcd course which results have
justified in every particular; and while
in this country there are a few. like the
wretch who fired the Ephesian Dome
that he might win notoriety through
foolish destruction. who in these days
lift their puny voices to challenge the
greatness of men whose achievements
for humanity have made them immor-
tai, whose monument is the happiest
and mightiest nation the world ever
has known, the great mass Of our peo-
pie recognize the worth of that noble
body of constructing statesmen among
whom Washington and jefferson stood
in the front rank.
1T was Washington in his messages
to Congress, and jefferson in his re-
port as Secretary of State, who demon<
strated the absolute necessity of a
merchant marine for the producers and
consumers of this country, and who
secured those laws which gave direct.
as we'll as indirect, aid to merchant
shipping.
so long as those laws remained we
flourished upon the sea. When they
were abandoned the warning words of
Madison were verificd--our shipping
disappeared.
ability to reach the market at the
minute the market calls means the
same today as it did in those years
when the wise merchants of Massachu-
sets were building those marvellous
clipper ships for trade in the far East.
Our ships led the procession and our
people prospered accordingly. 1t is the
Middle West that suffers most because
Of insufficient transportation facilities
and yet it is in the Middle West that
opponents of American shipping have
developed not only a sentiment against
o,ernment aid to ships, but they have
persuaded many of these same people
that it is entirely proper for the Gov
eminent to use American money, which
it refuses to American systems of
transportation, to aid in developing the
Transportation systems of their COM
petitors; on the theory that they may
share in the use of their competitors
semi-annual route. They prefer a
mere intermittent right of way. which
they must help build, through their
competitors territory, and which can
not he made available for many years.
to a roadway of their own which they
can have at once and over which no
competitor can have any control.
ITO delay is to continue the useless
expenditure annually of millions of
dollars caring for idle ships: to lose ell
those trade advantages which this war
built fleet has put into our hands: to
put US again within the trade control
OF our competitors in foreign markets
and to send the bulk of that vast fleet
Of steel steamers, built with the peo-
pies money and which legislation could
make an asset instead of liability. to
the scrap heap where those wooden
craft already have gone.
1--WE seek nc monopoly in trade. We
recognize that from the very nature of
Ter empire Great Britain we'll may as
pire to have a merchant tonnage three
times the size Of that which may car
ry our flag in foreign trade; but every
WHY WOMEN GET RESPONDENT