Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-21


humiliatins when we owe the ships
and fail in the genius and capacity 10
turn their prows toward the marts ,ot
tho world. - : III
This problem cannot longer bc ig,
nOred, its attemptcd solution cannot
longer bc postponed. The failure OF
Congress to act .decisively will bc no
less disastrous than adverse action.
Three Courses Open
"'rhrec courses Of action are possiblq
and the choice among them is no longer
to he avoided. -u
The Hrs; In constructive the
/ pending bill. under which. firmly be-
1leve, an American merchant marine.
! privately owned snd privately operated.
but serving all the peOp.e, and always
available to the Government In amy!
en- s,,s;rsency; ;r.e;..y may be established and
"The second Is obstructive continue
| Government operations and attendlms
Government losses aud discourage prt-
vate enterprise BY Government conipe.
tltl0n, under which 10sses are me-. ~
the public treasury, and witness the
continued losses and deteri0rau don until
the colossal failure ends In sheer en-
haustion.
1.-THE third IL destslctlve-lnvolvin
the sacrifice Of our shlps abroad or the
scrappinE OF them ut home, the surrem-
der Of our aspirations. and the comics.
sion Of our: impotence to the. world IN
general, and cur humiliation before the
competing world In particular.
| IA choice among the three IL incvi :
table. 1t is unbelievable that the Amer
lean people or the Congress which ex.
! presses their power will consent to sur
render and destruction. It is equally
unbelievable net our people and the
Congress whicM translates their wishes
into action will longer sustain n pro
gram OF obstruction and attending losses
to the treasury.
Constructive Alternative Urged
! II have come to urge the construc-
tive alternative. to reassert an Ameri-
can we WILL. linve come to ask you
to relieve the responsible administra :
tive branch Of the Government from u
program upon which failure and hone =
/ lessncss and staggering losses arc writ
ten TOR every pnge, and let us turn to
u program Of assured shipping to serve
1 us In war and to give guaranty to our
commercial Independence in peace.
II know full well the hostility in
the popular mind to the word sub
|
and associated with special privilege
by those who are unfailinG advOcutcs
Of Government aid whenever vast mum.
bers are directly concerned. Govern :
ment aid would be q fairer term than
subsidy in determining what we arc
seeking to do for our merchant marine
and the interests are those Of all the
people, even though the aid goes to
the few who serve.
''If Government aid 10 a fair tern
and think it is-tO apply to
authorizations aggregating S75, ,0O0, ,00f
to promote good roads for market
highways. 1t Is equally fit to be applied
to the establishment and maintenance
Of American market highways on tht
salted seas. IL Government aid II tllt
proper designation for fifteen to fort!
millions annually expended to Improve
and maintain inland waterways IN aid
Of commerce, IL is . proper designation
for needed assistance to establish and
maintain ocean Highways where there
Is actual commerce 20 bo carried.
Challenges Insinuations
''But call it 'subsidy,' since there
are those who prefer to appeal to mis-.
taken prejudice rather than make frank
and logical argument.
! 1--WE might 20 call the annual loss Of
| fifty millions, which we are paying now
without protest by those who most
abhor. we might as well call that a
| subsidy
"If 20. I am proposing TO cut in
half, approximately, and to the saving
thus effected there would be added mil
through ending losses on capital nc-
capital, out Of the
public treasury, always remember-and
there would be at least the promise
and the prospect Of the permanent es-
tablishment Of the needed merchant
marine. go.
II challenge every insinuation Of IA.
v0red interests and the enrichment of
the special few at the expense Of the
pubic treasury.
II am, first Of all. appealing to save
the treasury. 80
perhaps the unlimited bestowal of
Government aid might justify the ap-
prehension Of special favorinG, but the
pending bill, the first ever proposed
which carries such n provision, auto.
mathically guards against enrichment or
perpetuated bestowal.
1T provides that shipping lines re.
ceiving Government aid must have their
, actual investment and their opera ting
expenses audited BY tho Government;
that Government aid will only BE- paid
until the shipping enterprise earns 10
per cent on actual capital employed, and
Immediately that when moro than 10
per cent Il reached. half Of the excess
earnings must be applied 20 tho repay.
ment Of the Government aid which has
been previously advanced.
"Thus the possible earnings are linn.
tied to a very reasonable amount il
capital is to be- risked and mann agement
Is to be attracted.
III success attends. - We hope Il
will. the Government outlay Is returned.
the inspiration Of opportunity to EARN
remains. and Americans transportation
by sen Is established.
Reliance In War
Though differing in detail. 1t is
tion and capacity than other great nn-
lishmcnt Of their merchant marines, and
| It is timely to recall that We gave them
our commerce to aid In their upbuilding.
build and establish In the face of their
most active competition.
' "Indeed. the American development
will have to overcome every obstacle
| which may be put in our path, except
as international comity fOrbids.
Concern about our policy Ia not lin.
tied to our own domain. though the
interest abroad is Of very differing char.
acter.
II hope II Is Seemly to say It. because