Evening journal., 1922-05-25
TRADE CARRIED IN FOREIGN VESSELS.

ut will interest pubiic-spirted Delawareans to know
Il that for the nine months period ended March 81
1929 our foreign trade totaed 46ss0Oo0O0 consist
ing Of s1s7soooOOO imports s2.75sOOo.OOO domestic
exports and 900 900 foreign reexports The ex-
cess OF exports imports nearly sssa'oooooo
representing our favorable balance OF trade for the
period. a monthly of s1oO.ooOooo, and over
81. 200 900. 900 for the year
this foreign trade about s4O4soooo 900 SO
per the remainder being carried
in land vehicles by parcels post This water-borne
traffic made up OF s1ss1,6OOOoO worth OF imports
s241640 900 worth OF exports About so cent
the imports carried in American vessels and
6s per IN foreign vessels In 1921 American yes
carried AZ cent and foreign vessels carried 5s
per during the period In 1920 American
vessels had still larger percentage OF the incoming
rafnc. OF the exports American carried So per
compared with 40 per for the period of
1921 and still higher percentage in 1920
Now the of vessels entered and cleared met
tons) the period in question 455s7OoO and
45,971OOO respectively This tonnage about evenly
divided between American and foreign to be exact
about million foreign entered, and a
million a half cleared. than American ton
mage. Figures as to the tonnage of freight
red by the classes of vessels not at hand but
the OF value would appear that the foreign
getting of this freight at least,
they carrying the valuable. hence the more
profitable portion OF IL OF course the reason for this
that they AFFORD carry cheaper rates since
the OF operating foreign vessels is less than our
own costs In OF the hearings the ship
aid this fact brought by expert ship
operation and figures given show that British
operation costs far less than
British vessels. for example, carried 1874 900
worth OF imports during the 1921 period while our
vessels carrying s57tOeoOOo worth; British
sels delivered foreign countries ssssoOoooo worth
Of our freight, while boats delivering
100000 worth In the period OF 1891 British
resseIs brought in sss4.0OOoo0 worth. while own
ressels brought in sI.Os5 900 900 worth; British
,essels took out slsIsoo0 worth while boats
ook out 81 s2I. 100000 worth In short, the British
,oats havs been gaining steadily and have
clipsed US within the brief space OF one year And
hey Will continus DO until they control the bulk
V freight business unless taken through
government aid 20 ships offset British com
stltion Should competition regain the posi-
ion which Il occupied with respect 20 carrying
rade in 1913 there would follow a British policy OF
obstruction TO our foreign which would
ct on the entire country For the nine months ended
faroh 1918 British vessels carried about so per cent
y value OF trade. while German and
apanese vessels also controlling large amount
that business. our own then handling :
ut per cent the carrying trade. coming and going
These figures speak for themselves and they speak
noialy. Those for 1913 explain President Hardings
octude for an American merchant marine which will
nable US TO expand foreign trade unrammeled by
oreign shipping combinations. and which viii And us
prepared at sea for such emergencies Providence
night ordain by way OF future wars. II