Evening star., 1922-03-13
Sails Are Set on Discussion
American Ship Subsidy.

President Harding's proposal Of q
subvention. or subsidy. for the United
States merchant marine has evoked
lengthy discussion from Americas
newspaper editors. The plan is re-
ceived with every shade OF approval
aud disapproval. ranking from the
statement of the Cleveland Plain
Dealer independent democratic), that
next to the calling Of the Washing
ton conference, 1t is the biggest thing
the President ever did" to the con-
tention Of the, Fort Wayne Journal
Gazette (democratic) that 'the ship
subsidy plan is a. rotten a. ever"
The turmoil Of affirmation and refu-
tation set up by this editorial dis
cussion centers around several broad
questions. Chief interest appears to
lie in answering the auestion-As-
suming a subsidy of $l5,ooo.0oo to
$40. 100000 yearly 10 necessary to save
Americas merchant marine is 1t a
good business proposition OF benefit
to the whole country?
Arguing that 1t 10 . good plan. the
Buffalo Express independent repub-
ssn o,2 Il: 1ss Britain sqs.ias foaas
IuS Ouly DAAs~ih ASo"S
II successful, Japan 10 using 1t ef-
fectively. and Germany, before the
war, was finding 1t a means Of chal-
lsnging Britsin's supremacy in the
carrying trade"
Tne Kalamazoo Gazette (repub-
lican) states that "the Presidents
tribution Of Ss0.o0o,0oo a year. less
than the loss now being sustained
every two months under government
operations"
The Elmira star-Gasette Ondepend-
ent) points to general benefit Of .
subsidy by arguing that "if $4,000,
times that sum to American business
men-which, Of course. means more
work for American workmen-then
it appears As though it were worth
trial. at least"
The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin
Independent republican, defends the
plan, pointing out that when q ship
is able to earn 10 per cent the d.
rect subsidy ceases, and thereafter
earnings above 10 per cent must be
shared with the government until
such time as the subsidy payments
shall have been returned to the
Treasury fund; The old objection o to
Eobbled by prosperous lines and
needed, 10 met BY this provision"
Ths Pittsburgh Dispatch findepend-
anti says, '.rhe government was
forced into shipbuilding and
or disposed Of otherwise without
vastly greater loss than the subsidy
plan seems to involve"
Arpuinr against tho plan. tho Chi
csso journal (democratic) holds that
"in nftsen years a subsidy Of 3so.,
100000 per an1up would amount to
SlSo 900, 900. The best estimates are
mt bSinr 5000. .0o0. 900. In other words,
the government Is planning to
give away it's vessels and pay the
shipping trust 9 bonus Of 'sSo.ooo.ooo
The Christian Science Monitor On
dependent) likewise points out OBJ
stacies in tho assertion that this
tion OF the debts due the United
Stafes by her former allies. There is
eyery indication that the United
states is going to insist on the pay
ment Of these debts; there % also
every indication that tho Fordney
tariff bill is intended to make their
payment in goods dihlcult. II not i'm.
Tar a. Great Britain 10 concerned. 9
yerv large share Of this payment
might come in the form Of CARRYING
American eeods in British bottoms
Enoouraeement OF United States
merchant marine naturally discour- :
ages this method OF meeting the
The question Of the bearing the plan
has upon the presumption that Con-
Eress plans adoption Of 9 high pro-
rective tariff 10 avoided by newspa-
pars favoring tho subsidy, but the
Sioux City Daily Tribune Sihdspend-
ent). the Brooklyn Daily Eag1e I'm
dependent dsmoosatio) are IN aEees.
BY the Baltimore sun Independent
democratic) that "a vast shipping
tonnage cannot exist unless the ships
have goods to carry, and they ssnno!
get these gooae 70 esSy1 II ine pgitso