, 1922-10-31
Saus His Party Wrong.

EORMER George T. ehaHperiain, VI
G Oregon. is a Democrat but he is not a foohsh
one. neither is he so partisan that he can see no
virtue in the policies of any other parry. Anu az
the same time he possesses the courage 10 ms
owa party when it is wrong and to give explclt
specifications then and there. Senator Chamber
lain says; 81 am a Democrat, but my thorough
study of this subject has convinced me tnat ny
party is wrong in its opposition 10 shlppihg sun
sidy., The senator's array of facts and MS ar
guments 90 a long way to establish the SOUND
ness of the Republican attitude on the whole SUB
sidy proposal.
That the most important reason for the build
ing and maintenance of an American merchant
marine is related to the national defense is sen
ator Chamberlain's first assertion. He recalls the
fact that during the Spapish-America war We
we're dependent upon foreign transports Tor tho
CARRYING of our men and supplies across the IA
c;f;c and also asserted that when President Roose-
yelt sent the American fleet around the world, the
battleships could not have gone even as lar as
Honolulu without the aid of colliers and supply
ships operated under foreign flags and employed
by the United States government III those aux
iiiaries had deserted the fleet abroad, 1t could not
have returned home. AT the beginning OF our par
ticipation in the war in Europe, we were depend
ent upon foreign ships or Communicated foreign
ships for transportation OF our men ana supplies
From the standpoint of finance, in the last nun
bred wears VIC have expended only n billion dollars
on the improvement of rivers and harbors as alds
10 our commerce, While IN the same time We nase
paid foreign ships S2S,00O,UO0,OOO to carry our Tor
eign commerce, yet there are some people who
will condemn congress for extravaganza In rivers
and harbors appropriations.
As another means OF illustrating the unsouhu-
ness of employing foreign ships to carry our goods
he stated that in the past seven years we have
paid out $4,000, 600. 900 for the carrying of our for
eign commerce. sum nearly equal to the debt for
eign countries owe us.
The senator expresses the kindliest feeling to-
ward the British people and is of the opinion that
the ties of blood relationship ought to make i'm.
possible any war between them and the people OF
the United States, but this is no reason why We
should hesitate to adopt plans that will insure the
carrying of the major portion of American COM
merce in American ships. "We do not aspire to
carry the major portion of the commerce Of the
world. We do not envy Great Britain her pre-
dominance in world commerce. But We should as
pire to carry n major portion of that part of world
commerce that flows inland out of our own ports"
That we are in no danger of approaching Great
Britain's position in world commerce he indicated
by saying that our effective merchant ships have
a carrying capacity only about % per cent of that
Of the ships that sail under the British flag.
Shipping figures show the lower costs of OPP
Grating ships under the German, Japanese and
other foreign flags and unless the United States
is willing to retire entirely from the seas and
leave the carrying of her goods to her competitors.
.his country must either go down TO the foreign
standard of wages and living or must adopt the
policy of aiding our shipping by some sort of
subsidy.
The policy of protection which has been applied
to our industries like agriculture, manufacturing
and other similar efforts, must also be extended
70 the merchant marine, which is one of the most
important of all.