Evening star., 1922-06-21
Letter to MondeII Held Move
to ThWart Anti.Sub-
Sidy Lobby.
RESENTS FOREIGN ACTS
AGAINST SHIPPING BILL
Executive Seems Ready to Meet
ANY Opposition Abroad to AmeIi-
can Merchant Marine.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE,

IitS4dtnl hdTuIns itttcr 20 teS
publican Leader Mondell was intend
ed, in part at least, as a warning -
foreign countries that a lobby again {
an American merchant marine bii.
would not be tolerated
The Presto -,nt's outspoken cnarg
that foreign interests would like {
see America thwarted in her effo 1
to establish a merchant marine is
first public reference to d propa gan,
which has been constantly observ, =
Or the quiet by officials here. a 8
which in prc-war days had been =
small factor in squeiching COVER
mental activity on the shipping qu. 4
ton.
Mr.. Harding speaks OF "u
screened source OF opposition to -
outstanding and confident Americ z
course in this matter and bold
charges that mo well develop ID ma 4
time power of the old world is CT;
ing the development of our shiDpin
While the Pr.si siden, admires the e.
tional spirit which always thinks
the interests OF the homeland frs,
he adds warning that it goes 1, :"
far, for he says:
Other nations know the value Of
sed GdIl ) IlE DIS dli dbJuHtl Ol iTdut
and the individual discouragement
abroad to our worthy aims-a di>-
coura2 cement often insidiously dis
seminated here--ourht to argue an
American interest no longer 10 be
ignored"
No Names Mentioned.
The President didn't mention the
names of any foreign countries nor
disclose the nature of foreign op-
position TO the subsidy bill. but his
use of the words "insidiously dis
seminated here" are taken to refe
to some of those shipping compani, 4
mostly of foreign ownership. viii Y
have in their employ Americans VIA
know how to marshal political in .
tluence. .
This isn't the first time foreign OF .
position to an American merchant
marine has been publicly referred tn
as ''insidious." About twelve years
ago Congress discovered that Ger
man shipping companies mafnta ined y
lobby in Washington for the EXPIRE y
purpose of preventing the passage OF
ship aid legislation.
Mr.. Harding's pronouncement to
Leader Mondell is coincident also with
the speech made in London within the
laSl nouIS ny w a.
Love- vice president of the Elmer
gency Fleet Corporation. in which he
issued a plain warning that America
was going ahead with her plans for
a merchant marine by subsidy and
would not be swerved from her course.
The British as the largest maritime
power and the people who have been
most successful in sea-carrying trade
in the past are much more appre-
hensive about the passage OF the ship
subsidy bill than any other nation.
Before the war, ships of Great Brit
ain ruled the seas, but divided the
carrying trade in large part with
Germany. American shipping officials
believe the United States should not
allow Great Britain to monopolize the
sea trade especially since Germany is
without ships to carry the trade she
had before the war, even if she could
restore il tomorrow.
Room for Two Powers.
The opinion held in American quar-
ters is that there is plenty of room in
the world for two maritime powers of
major size and that America. which
sought no territory or indemnity in
the war and gave freely of her blood
and treasure. should not be begrudged
the use of her immense war fleet for
peace-time purposes.
The British have taken over most
of the German snIps as payment for
war damages and would like the
Tinted States to become discouraged
on the merchant marine question and
sell the ships at auction.
Inasmuch as American private oper-
ators insist they cannot compete with
foreign ships without SUBSIDY me
sale of Americans merchant fleet
would mean the increase in tonnage
and sea trade to foreign countries.
and since Great Britain is financially
able to buy more ships the chances
are a sale of American vessels would
mean the ultimate passage OF the
american war fleet into British
hands. :.
rasuonsible for the earnestness ana
determination of President Harding
to get a ship subsidy bill through
Congress. There is also the second
ary. though by no means unimpor-
tant. question Of having a merchant
fleet that could be used as an aux
iliary in case of naval war
One thing is certain, foreign oIs-
couraeemeht, however it may mani
| fest itself, will not go along unno-
| ticed. as in the past, but will be eN-
/ nosed by the administration every
fine il shows its head. Mr.. Harding
| reference to it in his letter to Rep
resentatiye Mondell goes further than
~ was believed the President would
! oo and this is considered significant
| Of his determination TO fight foreign
influence in American legislative
! matters. ,o,,