The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-11-26
PRESS ON SHIP SUBSIDY

upon Congress is the need for immediate passage of the ship subsidy measure, the press naturally has chosen that as the chief subject of political comment. It is evi- dent that many editors do not thoroughly understand the bill, nor comprehend it's pur- pose, or its relation to the problem of our merchant tonnage. On the other hand, dur ing the past few weeks some editors, pre- viously opposed, have been converted to support of the project, showing that more complete knowledge is favorable to the bill'5 status. Instead of imposing an additional tax upon the treasury, the bill seeks to relieve the treasury of a heavy expense incident to the present system of administering our ship ping. Instead of paying out money directly for the maintenance of the merchant marine, it is now proposed to turn the shipping over to private operators and to loan them money until their lines get on paying basis. It is the only practicable plan yet offered for getting the government out of the shipping business without sacrificing the merchant marine.
 The Louisville Courier-Journal reasons that the people in the recent elections re- jected the republican party, and therefore rejected the ship subsidy idea. That would be true if the subsidy were partisan idea, but as matter of fact, it is above and beyond any party, being honestly formulated for the national good. The three democratic mem- bers of the shipping board are unanimously for the subsidy, and that cannot be political, for the granting of the subsidy means the ul- innate liquidation of the shipping board There Is much reason in the Courier-Jour- nal's charge that the republican tariff acts as a brake upon American shipping progress, but, tariff or no tariff, the subsidy would be necessary, and the bill was drawn up long before the tariff was enacted The Courier Journal concludes: Having done all he could to destroy our foreign commerce by tariff subsidies, he (the President) would now pro- vide ship subsidies to promote and carry a destroyed commerce. That is the sum and substance of the merchant marine policy" If that were the sum and substance of the matter, the Courier-Journal's position would be correct; but the subsidy measure and the shipping situation are not to be dismissed so lightly. They deserve the most careful study on their merits.
 The Brooklyn Daily Eagle likewise ena- phasizes the fact that the measure should should not be passed by dscredted Con- gress and calls it bill (which proposes ad- ditional taxation affecting everybody for the sake of class" Nobody denies that the present is discredited Congress, but all the more reason perhaps why it should do some- thing worth while before it passes into its well-earned limbo. The sentence quoted above, however, shows that the editor has not carefully studied the subsidy bill. It does not propose additional taxation. The fund is to be formed by diverting a certain per centage of the customs receipts and by pay ing into it the sums already annually appro- priated for carrying the foreign mail. The advances must be paid back into the fund whenever the earnings of given line pass a certain point. If the American marine is successful the fund will eventually be com pletely reimbursed. In any event there is no taxation involved. In the second place, the subsidy is not "for the sake of class" On the contrary, it's purpose is to prevent American producers of export goods from suffering from transportation discrimina- tions imposed by steamship lines operated or controlled by our competitors. American commerce itself is at stake. If only the steamship lines themselves were to be con- sidered there would be no intelligent support of subsidy. Thus the Eagle is among those that need to study the measure more closely before venturing an adverse opinion, taking into consideration the fact that we oflx ,p,r>o b,,+ rather an exporting nation.
 Although some newspapers say that in it's prime the American marine did not enjoy subsidy, the Providence Journal remarks: Subsidy used to be urged to encourage Americans to go into the business of ocean transportation. It is now urged both for that and to relieve the country of the cost of paralyzed administration of the govern ment fleet" The paralysis however, is due to the circumstances under which the administration of a merchant fleet was thrust upon the government. Most business equipment is a result of slow growth. The merchant fleet was given the government full-grown, and that, too, in a period of commercial depression. The subsidy offers the way out of the shipping business with out losing the opportunity to develop this essential arm of production and commerce.
 As to the alleged politics in the subsidy measure the Washington Star remarks: "It is not party question. Some of the warmest advocates of merchant marine both as respects peace and war are democrats. The fact that a republican President has put himself squarely behind the proposition does not make it unacceptable to them. The