The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-02-26
py BAsCOM N. TIMMONS.
worlds Washington Correspondent.

/ worlds washington correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Coxey had an
army and now Coxey wants navy
-of rather, n merchant marine.
Tyenty-eight years ago Jacob
Z eoxeyNof Massillon. Ohio, led his
,,my down to washington to pro.
'sst against unemployment.
Today CoNey IL back in Washing
IAN with proposal to the Shipping
gard 10 buy the lame duck" ships
n the. American merchant marine
and put them to work on the trade
1outes OF the world.
n Coxey submitted his plan to the
,hlppng board recently. IL was not
ENTHUSIASTICALLY received by Chair
m'n Iasker. but within n week II
4hfs developed surprising strength in
A congress-, and members are asking
n his plan really isn't workable.
Best Plan Offered.
Anything that gives thu slightest
. promise of getting the American mer-
chant marine out of the slough OF de-
. ,pondency in which It has wallowed
. ,or three years would be welcomed
BY congress. Whether Coxeys plan
Is feasible or unfeasible It has the
merit OF being the most definite
pan yet offered.
Coxey, known 10 fame as the
| leader Of CoXey's army, Is n success
| ul business man, having a building
material plan at Massilion.
He has laid before tho shipping
! board definite proposal to bay 1l2
| ships Il 5.375 tons dead weight
| each, aggregating 100000 tons and
plan under the terms of which the
/ ships could be operated In competi-
| ton with foreign vessels, and pro-
<vil'ns Of the United States sea-
mans act be observed, the entire
i project be financed without sub
( sidy and the foreign commerce OF
| the country materially extended.
what Is a successful merchant
ifarine, anyway" he said. 81 would
/ answer. 1t is a marine system made
Up Of large linors, up to the eco
n0mlc size now recognized, supple
/ mented by n great number of small
or vessels. The larger vessels cor
respond TO the trunk railway nne.
\ and the smaller vessels to the feed
er or branch lines. 1t would be
necOnomic to operate a trunk line
= for the tonnage that originates on
one OF the branches. Likewise, II
Is uneconomic to employ the very
large carriers in collecting cargo
I from the many out of the way
| places.
These small vessels of 5,375
tons dead weight are not TO be
scOrned, as so many have erroneous
" done. II you will study the mer-
| chant marine OF Great Britain, you
will find that that admittedly sue
cessful industry is composed of a
certain number of large vessels that
| ply regular routes, and that there is
very large fleet of smaller ships,
the sort you pass at sea in your ele-
rant passenger ship. and look down
on as not quite up to your notice.
Their Real Strength.
"Yet these despised vessels are
the real strength of the British mer-
chant marine. They go into every
conceivable sort of port, pick up
cargo or deliver II. on voyages which
N could not be made by large vessels
YEIthout enormous loss.
a The United States has a great
xUamber of vessels of 5,375 tons dead
<Xeight, and they are not now of any
I'siue. They are an actual expense
10 the government. Why not pu;
hem into operation? Our proposal
WILL / believe, so place 112 OF them,
a according to a plan which will In
yoye no subsidy, yet will neverthe-
less enable their operation on an
economic basis, the maintenance OF
The living and wage standards set
4 BY the seaman's act, and the meet
ng OF competition from foreign
N shipping"
n Mr.. Coxey says that the competi-
a ton the American ship will have to
meet is from the foreign-owned
motor vessel, equipped with Diesel
engines, and that, whereas there Is
Wy one such vessel flying the
Anerican flag. there are 1880 ag-
grating 100000 dead weight tons
operating or building under for
'sn registry. These foreign vessels
d course, must be financed with
Inference to all the factors Of cost
per ton. and so forth.
The only method whereby we
may meet that competition Is ia
overcome in some way the diff
I erential against us, and we insls,
I<1Aat our plans meet the needs oil
ehe situation" he said.
Mr.. Coxey referred to Theodore
D. Wells of New York City, naval
architect, the technical details oi
hs enterprise.
Diesel Type Best.
Mr.. Wells laid down as the basic
| poposition that the steam pro-
1 pelled vessel cannot compete against
lhe Diesel engine motor ship. He
cited in proof of that assertion that
aperienoed merchant marine mer
the countries which have beer
host successful have adopted thai
4 ype of propulsion. He showed that
N 1918 there were In the world 241
such vessels. OF $4,000 tons dead
weight; in 1921 there were 1,447 oi
100000 tons in service and more
oullding, Germany, he said. not in
GUIDED 1 nthose figures. has 20 TO &c
'ueh vessels building. of from 1900
1900 tonnage each.
=. Since 1917" he went on, "th'
llhed States shipping board has ac'
qllred 1883 steel vessels. fitted will
uneconomical and obsolete steam
Wopelling machinery. and will
Nalch our merchant marine Is to b'
maintained. The policy OF thu
Mlpping hoard. officially promul
sated, is TO sell these ships for pri
%e ownership and operation.
With the differential against th'
Hmerican ship remaining in force
reason OF the higher cost pc
Hland the higher wages and oper
SuN charges, 1t will not be possible
~ ,SlAriyate operators to acquire
rs ships and operate them, unless
q, A reconditioning and guaran
,is e OF first-class condition at thu
N'as Of transfer.