Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-11-23
CALLS
SHIP BILL VITAL
STEP Of ECONOMY
Declares in Address to Joint
Session That Enactment of
Bill viii Result in Return Of
Great Outlay by u, S,

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22.-Enact
ment of the administration mercnan:
marine bill was urged upon congress
by President Harding as neces'
sary to relieve the government OF
present Staggering losses" in opera
ton of the war-built merchant fleet
and to establish a program Of as,
sured shipping to serve the nation
in war and give a guaranty of con-
mercial independence in tim:e CT
peace.
Personally addressing a joint ses
sion of the house and senate the
executive declared an actual none
tary saving to the government would
result from the proposed law. He
challenged every insinuation of IA
vored interests and the enrichlng c.
the special few at the expense o.
the public treasury. The leglsla
ton, he asserted, automatically
guarded against enrichment or per
petual bestowal.
Sees Outlay Returned
eff success attend, as we hope It
| will" he added, 1.-THE government
outlay is returned, the inspiration
of opportunity to earn remains. and
American transportation by sea is
maintained"
The president said concern abo!.t
the American merchant r2drin4
policy was not limited ito cur own
domain" adding that the maritime
nations of the world "Were in com
plete accord with the opposition here
| to the pending measure" He declar-
ed those nations had a perfect right
to such an attitude, put that he Wish
ed to stress the American viewpoint
which he said should be the view
point "from which one sees Amer.
can carriers at sea, the dependence
, of American commerce and A1ner1'
| can vessels lOF AIlleI1CdIl lC''1AASS -
the event of war"
Mr.. Harding declared it would pc
most discouraging if measure OF
such transcending national mpor-
lance" must have it's fate depend
on geographical, occupational, pro-
| fessional or partisan objection. A
commercial eminence on the seas,
and ample agencies for the promo
ton in carrying of American com
merce, he asserted were of no less
importance to the people of the Mis-
sissippi and Missouri valley, the
great northwest, and the Rocky
Mountain states than to the sea
board states and industrial commu'
mites inland.
"a Common Cause"
''It is a common cause, with its
benefits commonly shared SAID he
If the government aid is u fair
term to apply to authorization ag
gregating $75,0O0,000 to promote
good roads for market highways, the
president added. it is equally fit tC
be applied 10 the establishment and
maintenance of American market
highways on the "salted SEAS"
AS to present government opera
ton of the shipping board fleet, Mr.
Harding said there was the unavold
able task of Wiping out fifty-mll
lion-dollar annual loss and losses
aggregating many hundreds OF
millions" in WORKOUT, sacrificed OF
scrapped shipping. He called at
tention that the government ships
were being worn out without any
provision for replacement and that
a program of surrender and Sacri
flee and the liquidation which he de
clared would be inevitable unless the
proposed legislation were enacted
would cost scores of millions. The
cost of the proposed legislation Civ
ing direct aid, he said, with ocean
carrying maintained at the present
average would not reach $20,000,00C
year, and the maximum direct aiG
if American shipping were so pro
NOTED that it carried one-half the
not exceed thirty millions annually
Little Applause
The president followed his custom
of reading from manuscript, the
message having been typed on small
ksheets. At times he put great en-
phasis on some Of the statements in
his speech. He was applauded
when he said he had come to reas-
sert an American eve will" but for
the most part the senators and rep
resentatives heard him in silence.
For the first time since the presi-
dent has visited the capitol to ad-
dress congress, Mrs. Harding was
absent. Ambassador Jusserand, of
France, was with party in the
diplomatic gallery. A delegation of
shipping board officers, headed by
Chairman Lasker, had seats on the
floor directly behind the Republican
crrOl1n