The St. Johns herald., 1922-12-07
PLAN MEANS SAVING OF MIL. LIONS YEARLY, PRESIDENT
 TELLS CONGRESS.
URGES SHIP SUBSIDY
GOVERNMENT AID FOR SHIPPING WILL CUT BURDEN, HARD
 ING INSISTS.

Washington, Nov. 21.-Enactment of the administration merchant marine bill was urged upon Congress by Pres ident Harding as necessary to relieve the government of present staggering losses in operation of war-built mer- chant fleet, and to establish a program of assured shipping to serve the na- tiOn in war and give guaranty of commercial independence in time of peace.
 Personally addressing joint session of the House and Senate, the execu- tive declared an actual monetary say ing to the government would result from the proposed law. He challenged every insinuation of favored interests and the enriching of the special few at the expense of the public treasury. The legislation, he asserted, automat- ically guarded against enrichment or perpetual bestowal.
 'sIf success attend, as we hope it will," he added, "the government out lay is returned, the inspiration of Op- pOrtunity to earn remains and Ameri- can transportation by sea is main tained.''
 The President said concern about the American merchant marine policy was not limited ito our own domain" adding that the maritime nations of the world "were in complete accord with the opposition here to the pend ing measure" He declared those na- tions had a perfect right to sucn an attitude, but that he wished to stress the American viewpoint, which, he said, should be the viewpoint ''from which one sees American carriers at sea, the dependence of American com merce and American vessels for Amer ican reliance in the event of war;"
 MT. Harding declared it would be most discouraging if a measure of 'such transcending national impor- tance" must have it's fate depend on geographical, occupational, profession
  cial eminence on the seas and ample agencies for the promotion in carrying of American commerce, he asserted, were of no less importance to the peO- pie of the Mississippi and the Mis- souri valley, the great Northwest and the Rocky Mountain states than to the seaboard states and industrial commu- mites inland.
 Tt is a common cause, with it's ben efits commonly shared" said he.
 If government aid is a fair term to apply to authorizations aggregatjng $75,OOO,O00 to promote good roads for market highways, the President added, it is equally fit to be applied to the establishment and maintenance of American market highways on the "salted seas."
 As to present government operation of the Shipping Board fleet. MT. Hard ing said there was the unavoidable task of wiping out a $50,OO0,000 an nual loss, and losses aggregating | many hundreds of millions in worn out, sacrificed or Scrapped shipping. | He called attention that the govern | ment ships were being worn out with | out any provision for replacement | and that a program of surrender and sacrifice and the liquidation which he | declared would be inevitable unless the proposed legislation were enacted | would cost scores of billions. The | cost of the proposed legislation giving | direct aid, he said, with ocean-carrying | maintained at the present average | would not reach $2O,OOO,000 year and | the maximum direct aid if American | shipping were so promoted that it car ried one-half the nations deep-sea | commerce would not exceed $30,OO0,- 900 annually.
 The President devoted practically i all his message to the subsidy, men, tioning only one other national prob | lem-additional relief for agriculture. | This and other questions will be dealt | with in his message to the regular ses- sion which will meet Dec. 4.