The Devils Lake world., 1922-07-12
Note: This is the first Of series
Of six articles on the American Mer.
chant Marine by the Chairman of the
Shipping Board.
ARTICLE 1.

3Ou UUUeI lUTolSu u0H.
From the time of the union of oul
original thirteen coastal states until
the Civil War, one of the leading in.
dustries in America was shipping.
Through our superior ability in the
construction Of ships and the pro1.
unity Of our raw materials for
wooden ships (which were the only
ships Of those days), Americas sea
ehnAas Of that period constitute .
proud page in the history of the re
public. -
Treaties Forbid Discrimination.
By. 1928. through treaties, the pol.
ley of discrimination, preferential
tariffs and similar legislation came
70 an end. Today the United States
has something over one hundred
commercial treaties forbidding such
practices.
There were several major factors
that contributed to our willingness
to neglect our merchant marine
after the close of the Civil War.
Among these was the development
OF our rich central and far west
Not only was the adventuresome
youth lured west of the Alleghenies
but capital found better opportunity
tor profit in the development of our
iSich inland empire. With the find.
j ing Of gold in California the lure OF
adventure and profit attracted our
{, young men from the eastern sea-
board belt to the great undeveloped
territory lying to the westward. The
movement then ninaugurateds( "a move.
mont Of vast Importance to ourselves
/: and indeed the whole worldly marked
the beginning Of the rapid decline OF
the American Merchant Marine.
At about the same time the iron
ship was perfected. In those days
; America was not in 4 position to
build iron ships in competition with
Great Britain whose coal and iron
ore lay practically at seaboard where
the ships were constructed. We had
. not then as yet developed our great
iron industry nor our steel industry
which followed later.
AAA OOuASAOA W LAo60 tSIy COmUkks
ling reasons, America required all
the borrowed capital she could get
) particularly for the development OF
her railroads. These roads, were
built as a result Of the encourage
ment given by Government subsidies
OF land grants and they formed the
arteries through which the wealth OF
the central and western portions OF
our country poured,
Subsidy Like Tariff Protection.
In order to insure the development
Of our infant industries, America
adopted a system of high tariffs TO,
The product Of factory, mine and
farm alike. Thus, American ship,
had to be built by the highest paid
lsoor in the world and operated by
crews receiving high wages.
None would have American stand.
ards Of living lower than they are:
ibat the insurmountable handicap
caused thereby to American shipping
lesilt and operated by protected labor
b obvious.
Al the start Of the World War in
1914, Americas passenger feet in
the North Atlantic had dwindled to
the shameful total Of six vessels.
The aid given them IN the way of
postal subsidy by our Government
was undoubtedly the chief reason
four Of them were able to continue
IA service at that date. Our whole
1sst Of sea-going steel and iron ships
at that time. totaled only one million
4soss tons % compared with eighteen
hHlton tons for Great Britain exclu-
sive Of her colonies.
Fortunately for Us, Great Britain
and her Allies. III The soaduct Of the
war before our eatsy and afterwards.
needed oil the surpius> products we
could supply and demapded eyer in
creased production Hon %. 4 Vim
be recalled that vastly different
situation prevailed during the ,Boer
War and the farmer and wool grower
OF America viii remembsr what hap.
Dened to them during that period
when British ships were not avail
able to carry oar surpluses and We
had no nerchsnt marine Of our own.
lnmedhtely upon our entrance
into the war IN 1917, there arose a
cry for Ships, more shaps and again
move ships" as the foremost con.
tsfbuttoa AmN1ieA could sive. AS a
reauH the Government built the
1GSyp3 ae4 the world has ever
known. consasting Of more than
1gventeen hSndred ships Of more
than eleven million deadweight tons
sApsstty. No factor, aided more in
bringing the war to q quick conclu.
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