The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-11-22

eating fifty millions annually, which
It believes could be reduced by half
through change of policy, your gov
5rnment would be unworthy of pub
lo trust II such change were not
commended; nay. II 1t were not in
sistently urged.
And the pity of IL Is that our
present expenditure in losses is not
constructive. 1t looks to no future
attachments. 1t Is utterly ineffective
in the esta blishment of a dependable
merchant marine, whereas the en-
couragement of private ownership
and the Application of individual
initiative would make for a perfna-
nent creation, ready and answerable
at all times to the needs of the ma
ton.
But I have not properly portrayed
all the current losses to the public
this year. We are wearing out our
ships without any provision for re-
placement. We are having these
losses through deterioration now, and
are charging nothing against our
capital account. But the losses are
there. and regrettably larger under
government operation than under
| private control. Only a few years of
| continued losses on capital account
| will make these losses through de-
probation alone to exceed the fifty
millions a year now drawn to cover
| losses In Operation.
Losses Even Greater
"The gloomy picture of losses does
not end oven there Nothwithstand-
Ing the known war cost in three
| billions OF dollars for the present
tonnage, will not venture to APP
praise its cash value today. 1t may
as we'll be confessed now as at some
later time that in the mad rush to
build, in establishing ship yards
wherever men would organize to ex-
pend government money, when we
made ships builders overnight quite
without regard to previous occupa-
tions or pursuits. We builded poorly
often very poorly. Moreover. we con-
structed without any formulated pro-
grams for a merchant marine. The
war emery ency impelled and the cry
was for ships, any kind of ships. The
error Is recalled in regret rather than
criticism. The point Is that our fleet
costing approximately three millions,
is worth only a fraction of that cost
today. whatever that fraction may
be, tho truth remains that We have no
market in which to sell the ships
under our present policy. and pro-
gram of surrender and sacrifice and
the liquidation which Is inevitable
unless the pending legislation Is
sanctioned, with cost scores of mil
lions more.
Need % Now
when the question is asked, why
the insistence for the merchant
marine act now? the answer is ap-
parent. waiving every inspiration
which lies in a constructive plan
for maintaining for flag on the com
u;
ing the prudence in safeguarding
against another 5000, 600, 900 madness
IL war ever again impels, we have
the unavoidable task of wiping out
$50 900, 900 annual loss in operation
and losses aggregating many hun
dreds of millions in worn out, sacri-
feed, or scrapped shipping. Then
the supreme humiliation. the admis-
sion that the United States---our
America, once eminent among the
maritime nations of the world. Is In
capable of asserting itself IN tne
peace triumphs on tho seas OF the
world. II would seem to me doubly
humiIiating when we own the ships
and fail III the genius and capacity to
turn their prows toward the marts OF
tho world.
This problem cannot longer be
ignored, It's attempted solution can
not longer be postponed. The ran.
ure OF Congress to act decisively VIII
be no less disastrous than adverse
action.
Three Courses Open
Three courses of action are pos
sible and the choice among them IS
no longer to be avoided.
'The first Is constructive-enact
the pending bill under which firmly
believe an American merchant ma
rine privately owned and privately
operted, but serving all the peopls
and always available to the govern
ment in any emergency may be es-
tablished and maintained The sec
ond is bstructive-continue govern
ment operations and attending gov
ernment losses and discourage priv
ate enterprises by government com
petition under which losses are met
by the public treasury and witness
the continued losses and deterioria- |
ton until the colossal failure ends |
in sheer exhaustion.
''The third is OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES |
ing the sacrifice of our ships abroad, I
or the scrapping of them at home, |
the surrender of our aspirations and |
the confession o. our impotence to |
the world in general and our HUI
initiation before the competing world
in particular.
A choice among the three Is In
evitable. 1t is unbelievable that the
American people on the Congress-
which expresses their power win I
concent to surrender and destruction.
1t is equally unbelievable that our
people and the Congress which trans
M