The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-04-20

the author of the following article, is
a journalist and author of wide repu-
tation, who has, for many years, made
a study of foreign trade and mer-
chant marine. AS editor of American
industries he paid special attention to
these subjects.
Chairman Lasker of the United
State shipping board revealed a near
state secret, perhaps, in a recent pub
lie address, when he quoted President
Harding as having said to him prior
to election, MY great ambition is to
come into history as the president in
whose administration the American
merchant marine was put back on the
seven seas"
All of Mr.. H%arding's predecessors
of recent years have cherished a SINH
lar ambition, possibly with a lesser de-
gree of earnestness, and all Of them
have failed of the accomplishment.
Each and all of them have had to
meet from a large part of the country
and mostly from the inland sections
either general apathy towards the
purpose or actual hostility to it; sup
plemented in the seaboard states by a
subtle propaganda against it that has
undoubtedly been inspired and backed
by our chief marine rivals. For it
is not gallantry on the part of the
great foreign trading nations that
causes them to be unwilling that the
United States should go to market
carrying her heavy exports in her
own market-basket.
Every nation that asplres to a domi-
mating influence in the markets of the
world, and a control Of those markets
in the interests of it's own exporters,
has found it to be good national policy
to make the operation of ships under
it's own flags attractive to private
operators through liberal government
aids in the form Of subsidies. We
alone, Of all the great trading nations,
with our eyes heretofore turned to
sources, and hitherto caring little for
the rest of the world, have resolutely
and with fixed consistency of purpose
in our legislation of more than half
a century, pursued a course so exact
ly the opposite that we have virtually
penalized the operation Of American
ships when engaged in overseas trade.
Under a protective tariff we have pro-
tected our farms from foreign compe-
tition. Under prohibitive laws we
have protected our coastwise traffic
from the same. Our Great Lakes ship
ping has had the protection Of natural
barriers. But when it comes to Amer
lean ships on the broad oceans, ex-
posed to the full force Of competition
from the ~cheaper-built, cheaperoperat-
ed and subsidized foreign ships, we
have not only left them unaided but
have actually handicapped them by
b~urdensome and restrictive legislation.
If President Harding's ambition is to
be achieved it will be because of the
lesson we have learned through the
world war. IF the other fellow will
carry our freights cheaper than we
can carry them for ourselves, why not
let him do it?" has been a stock arg
ument for years against any govern
ment policy towards our own ships
similar to that adopted by our sue
cessful rivals. To which the answer
really is that while this other fellow
can carry our freights cheaper than
we can profitably do it ourselves,
he does not and will not do 80, save
when it suits his pleasure to kill off
American competition through a rate
war. The past year has seen great
cargoes Of American cereals going
aboard in ships flying foreign flags
while a great fleet Of own has
been lying idle and piling up an enor-
nous expense on all Of the people.
The owners of these foreign ships
have been in a position to underbid
not only the United States shipping
boards rates but also those of private
American operators. During the war,
owing to conditions then existing, the
foreign owner was quick to make a
rate so high hat American products
found their way to market only with
greatest ~dificulty, or not at all.
The war taught us-all Of us-that
it was not cheaper at any price to be
dependent upon our commercial riv-
ais for success to the markets of the
world. 1t taught us that it was not
cheaper at any price to depend for
u outlet upon the willingness or
ability Of those whose interests were
not necessarily r. to give US ocean
transportation. Our exports rotted
or rusted at the piers because of the
lack Of ships. Rates that would have