The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-10-26
Frederick I askin's Letter
Ship Subsidy Fight Looms
Warrington. D. C.. Oct A.-Th

washiaston. D. C.. Oct 1.-The
ship Nsubsidy hill. already strenu-
ously fought over in preliminary
skirmishes, is to be one of the
main subjects before congress at
the next session. Representative
Greene, Of Massachusetts,. author
and champion Of the bill, conf
IDENTIFY predicts that his measure
will come through the conflict
safely, however, and that the
American flag will once more as
sumo its old prominence ON the
high seas.
The shipping question is compli-
Gated and the bill is technical. The
situation briefly Is that an Ameri-
can merchant fleet. built at enor-
nous cost in wartime, lies. idle in
our yards. The Shipping board
still has in its charge 1,675 ships.
Of which some 100 are inactive.
The board would like to sell all OF
these ships to private firms, recov-
er some O. its investment, and go
quietly out Of existence.
America has no large, depend
able marine to carry its cargoes,
and here are almost 100 ships, the
nucleus OF a first class shipping in
dustry. But private capital is mol
coming forward to operate the
ships. AS matters stand, foreign
freighter with cheap European or
oriental labor can be operated SO
much more cheaply than an Ameri-
can ship that our business men
will not try to compete. The great
potential American marine re-
mains troublesome white ele-
plant on the hands of the Shipping
board.
The arguments in favor Of an
American merchant fleet might be
explained here. Chairman Lasker
OF the Shipping board points Out
that while foreign ships have han
died our trade more or less salts
factorily in the past, the situation
is different now. When the United
States was a deAor nation, he told
the House committee on Merchant
Marine, Europe could be depended
upon to furnish us with ships be-
cause the ships would be used tt
carry goods to pay off our Euro
pean debts.
Now. we are a creditor nation
and Europe has lost her stronges
! 81 tho
her ships. Hence, if in an emery
ency England or another maritime
nation should require its merchan
fleet for its own purposes th'
United States might be left with
out that many carriers and it
trade would be badly crippled.
That this did not occur durin!
the recent war, Mr.. Lasker ha
explained, was due to the fact tina
England needed supplies which tn
United States could provide. Wit
a different combination of power
and in a different emergency situa
ton. the United States might fin
itself seriously embarrassed TO
want of ships.
! Should Utilize Our Ships.
The feeling that this counsr
should not put all of its trust il
European ships is growing Nov
that we have the markings of a ma
rine it is argued that We should no
let the ships rot because circum
stances are unfavorable to Ameri
can competitors. The result o
this feeling is the Greene subsid
bill.
This bill would subsidize Ameri
can ship owners for the next l
years in which time they would b
expected to get firmly on their fee
Money would be loaned to ther
and in return they would be TN
der contract with the Shippin
board to operate their vessels alon
the lines set down in the bill.
Advocates of the bill show ths
kFrance has found it advisable I
, grant a subsidy to shipping inter
ests and that Japan has provide
for it's ship owners for the comm
, year.
1t is so long since this countr
had a merchant marine of any in
portance that the question is OF
casionally raised as to whethe
, Americans are really suited to Sc