Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1922-11-21
President Tells Con-
greSS Bill WouldSaue
Fifty Million Dollars
a Year TO the Treas
ury-ShoUS Present
Losses Under Ship
ping Board
MORE AID
FOR FARMERS

WASHINGTON. Nov. 2i Omitted
Press).-In nghtinE message
President Harding today dared thu
Goes OF the administration ship
subsidy bill 10 assume the RESPONSE
bility for defeating It.
Declaring that no proposition
placed before Congress ever met
more resolute hostility" the Presi-
dent in a message delivered in per-
son to the extraordinary session OF
Congress today challenged his op-
pom snts to meet the issue fairly.
Tho President devoted virtually
all of his message to a vigorous
advocacy Of the subsidy. mentioning
only one other national problem
additional relief for agricuiture.
This and other questions will be
dealt with in his message to the
regular session which will meet on
. December 4.
This problem cannot longer be
/ Ignored said Mr. Harding. "its at
tempted solution cannot longer be
postponed. The failure of Congress
20 oct decisively VII be no less dis
astrous than adverse action"
Carrying the fight with unusual
aggressireness TO the enemy's camp.
Mr.. Harding said he Challenged
every insinuation OF favored inter-
ests and the enrichment OF the
special few at the expense OF the
pdblic treasury. am. first OF all.
appealing to save the treasury
Throughout his speech. the Presi-
dent argued that the subsidy wou ID
save money to the treasury because
OF the large losses still being piled
up by the shipping board. These
we're estimated at $50. 100000 a year
while the President said the cost
OF the subsidy would be half that
amount.
The executive made a fervent plea
that America again be raised to a
position OF eminence among the mar
thine nations OF the world
Striking directly az the opposition
TO the measure. the President said
one OF three courses IS open to Con-
sress:
The first Is constructive enact
ment or the pending bill. under which
1 firmly believe. an American mer-
chant marine. privately owned and
rivately operated, but serving all the
people and alway available TO the
government IN any emergency. may
be established and maintained. he
said.
The second is obstructlve-con-
tinue government operation and at
tending government losses and dis
courage private enterprise by gov
ernment competition under which
losses are met by the public treasury
and witness the continued losses and
deteriorating until the colossal fail
ure ends in sheer exhaustion.
The third is destructive-in
ing the sacrifice CT our ships abroad
or the scrapping of them al home.
the surrender OF our aspirations. and
the confession of our Impotence TO
the world in general. and our hu-
initiation before the competing
world in particular.
"A choice among the three is in
evitable. II is unbelievable that the
people or the Congress
which expresses their power will
consent to surrender. II is EQUALLY
that our people and the
Congress which translates their
wishes into action will longer sus-
tain a program OF obstruction and
attending hopes. to the Treasury.
Mr. Harding said the bin was not
a subsidy but Government aid" IN
the same sense as the Government
provides in building inland water
u-avs and fn1nrovinc roads - ia l.,
CContinued on Page Fifteen)