Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-24
Harding G0ESL|M|T
! FOR SHIP SUBSIDY
Representatives Summoned to
White House for Personal
Conferences
MEASURE GAINING IN HOUSE
BY CLINTON W. GILBERT
0tn6 torrespondent Evening Pebble LEDGER

Utun Correspondent Evening fNOlc IF0ReV
Copyright. i9s,. bv PnbHc Ledger Com pdnD
Washington. Nov. -. - President
Harding is making Il more direct effort
to nut his ship subsidy measure through
the House than he has ever done before
for any pec. of legislation. He sends
daily for individual members Of the
House and argues with them in behalf
of his bill. He is not using patronage
or coercion. only persuasion.
His favori,c argument is the story OF
Mark Hanna's expcricnc" with the SUBJ
sdy issue twenty wears ago. Mr..
Hanna was campaigning in Ohio and
dsvoting most of his speeches to the
martyred President Mckinley. fits
audiences were respectful. but not on.
thusiastir. Mr.. Harding. who was II
young politician at that time, suggested
that Hanna talk about the merchant
marine.
Mr.. Hanna objected that the farm
ers of Ohio are not interested in ships
and they are against a subsidy" Att
erward Mr.. Hanna took Mr.. larcling's
advice and met with cordial response
from his audiences. So Mr.. Harding
tells the congressman they would find
their constituents favorable to the sub
sidy if they had the courage to prcsen.
the issue fairly.
Th" chief danger Of the Subsidy Fill
In the House is from the absence of
!tS normal supporters. About fifty
Republicans who were not reelected
are not in attendance. Tcl"grams have
been sent to them urging them to come
toy tn" vote on tho subsidy. But it j
bard to get men who are retiring from
Office to civ" much time 70 Washington.
They are looking after their business
or their law practice preparatory to re-
turning 10 private lie.
There is little doubt. however. that
the bill is gaining strength IN tho
House The chief consideration that is
aiding II is that the present situation
with regard to American shipping j.
impossible. and that II" ALTERNATIVE" sug-
gestion TO that PUT forth nv Mr.. Hard
ing is made. The weakness Of the
rrogressivcs on this, n on the railroad
issue. is that their attitude j. purely
destructive.
If the subsidy is rejected. the country
has to GO on owning ships that are tied
up m the docks. losing money ou them
steadily and failing. although i pos.
sesscs the v'sSel>. to build an ocean,
carrying trace.
The Nation has tried ever sine" the
war ended t. transfer its ships 10 pri
vate ownership and get them on the
sens. 1t has tried Government opcr-
alton of them. After years Of this cx-
perimentaton onrhHf the Govern
The world depression in business. ana
especially in foreign commerce. does
not sufficiently account for the tailutc
Of American shipping. The figures
show this. This country has much less
than one-half the worlds shipping.
Yet 80 per cent of the worlds shipping
tied up in port i American.
How much this bad showing is due
TO the poor quality of the ships built
by this country during the war. how
much of it is due to the incXpcr"nCc ot
this country in shipping. how much OF
II is due TO the disadvantage to which
American ships ar" PUT by American
shipping laws it j. impossible to say.
But it is evident that an immense in-
ertia is to be o,erroln" befor" an Amer.
can merchant marine is created. And
the argument for a subsidy i that
1t can only be overcome by Government
Gid 10 private >hip owners. For this
contention is I'll" argument that every
thing else has failed.
Bill Weak in One Respect
The weakness OF the subsidy position
is that there is no certainty that tic
Government aid proposed by Mr.. Hand
ing would y. adcQuat" t. induc" privuL.
owners Ia take the ships off the couA
try'S bands. Opponents uf III" m"a>-
urc are afraid that the $50. ono OON ur
0.0OO. 600 proposed hy Mr.. Harding
Nouid b" on'! y beginning. that Il lt'
later when it hal failed 20 accomplish
il purpose vastly larger "Xuendituros
would be asked for tMut tn" rounlry
would he committed to a course OF SUD-
vrulirNS OF which no one could see TIE
extent.
\ccnrGin: 30 Mr.. iIardings figures.
Vi" Gov"rumont is losing so. .NN. 900
a year on it. ships. This does not in.