The Washington herald., 1922-12-22
CALDER URGES
AID DT0SH|PP|NG.
APPRECIATION
Says Strong Merchant, Marine
Would Be Effective Second
Line of Defense During War
CITES BRITISH ADVANTAGE
Senator Declares Expendit6re
of 100000 Every Year
Is Justified for Protection
BY Universal Service,

BY Universal Service.
A strong merchant marine is a
commercial necessity in time of
peace and would constitute an
effective second line of defense"
In time of war, Senator Calder,
OF New York, told the Senate
yesterday in a speech supporting
the ship subsidy bill.
BRITISH ADVANTAGE.
Senator Calder pointed to the
enormous advantage possessed by
Great Britain over this country by
reason of her powerful merchant
fleet He produced figures show
ing that the total number of steel
ships of over 10000 tons operating
In British commerce today il 194.
as compared to so under the Amer
ican flag and % under the flag of
Japan. This excludes ships 25 years
old or more.
In the event of a war which
might line Great Britain up
against the United States. the Sen
ator said, if both navies were lost,
Great Britain still would possess
this second line of defense. which,
properly armed, would ravish the
seas and drive from the ocean
every vessel possessed by the ma
tons with which she was at war.
Senator Calder asserted that on
the ground of providing the Gov
ernment with such a fleet to be
available in time of emergency, the
expenditure of $4,000. 900 a year
as a subsidy to keep the fleet on
the seas was fully justified. That
sum. he declared. would not pay
the cost of one battleship. but it
would rehabilitate the merchant
marine and keep it under the
American flag.
DIFFERENCE IN COST.
The need of the subsidy was en-
phasiZed further by the statement
that it costs 25 per cent less to
operate ships by foreign countries
than by the United States. Sena-
tor Calder pointed out that sup
plies for the vessels are cheaper.
upkeep is cheaper. and wages for
seamen are less.
Enactment ofthe subsidy measure
Is in direct accord with the pro-
tective tariff, Senator Calder con-
tinued. He said:
From every point Of view. am
convinced that there is no possi-
bility of our maintaining an
ocean-going fleet to carry Amer
lean products overseas without
government aid. Our Democratic
friends provide for the levy
ing of a duty to give limited
protection. Our party believes
In a higher tariff and on the
same theory we come to the Sen
ate and insist that We are power
less, as nation, to operate in
competition with foreign nations
unless We encourage this business
by Government assistance. in
exactly the same manner as levy
ing a tax upon imports for the
purpose of equalizing the costs
of production.
We can not blame men for
purchasing where they can buy
the cheapest. We can talk of
patriotism all we will. We can
argue that people should send
their products abroad in Amer
lean ships, but they will not do
so if they can ship in foreign
vessels for less money. 1t is
human nature and common sense
to buy where they can get the
lowest prices.
CHARGES HUGE WASTE.
Senators on the other side.
some of them Republicans. lose
sight of the ultimate advantage
to their country. We have spent
$4,000. 100000, at least $4,000, ,O00.-
900 Of which was thrown away,
because of our short-sighted policy
of the last fifty years. The in
terest on that wasted 81 .000. .000.-
900 alone would have supplied
much more than the needed Gov
ernment aid for years to come.
But today we find Senators who
will plunge their country into
the same condition which con-
fronted us prior to 1917. When
war comes again, as it will some
day, if we fail to give Govern
ment aid to our merchant marine,
we may not have Great Britain
to carry our men overseas the
next time. She may be on the
other side and we will be help
less.
Senator Calder discussed the
charge made by subsidy opponents
that the measure is a raid upon
the Treasury" lie said he could
not understand how such a charge
could be made. He said he be-
lieved passage of the bill would
help every State, city. village and
farm in the United States.