The Washington times., 1922-10-15

"A United States Sor are we
p headed for the position of depend
encs upon foreign bottoms that
prevailed from 1855 to ls1s7'.
That IL . question that IL giving
real concern to American farmers
= and manufactures and 10 viewed
with interest. not to say concern.
" by people overseas. II IL raised
because the administration ana
legislation that followed the war
have indicated that our enlarged
merchant marine policy which, be-
sun IN 1915. 10 headed for the scrap
Such Q destination must give
pause to the American people. Tor
We cannot expect our. SHARE Of
foreign trsde unless We. can carry
our goods In our own bottsins and
swap, our surplus peoducts for the
surplus products OF other coun-
tries. ~ ~ .,a.{tS,
FILIBUsTER A BLOW.
In 1915. In the Wilson administra-
tion. the first lafse construction
program for the restoration Of our
merchant marine yas presented to
Congress. II Il had passsd. our
panic for ships sf,d more ships In
1917 would not have % troubled us.
The bin 70 begin butIdins freight
ships passed the House. In the
Senate Il found q solid wall Of
opposition from thu Republican
Senators. They were Joined by a
few Democrats without apprscia.
ton Of the wisdom Of creating q
merchant marine upon . sound
basis. They fiiibustsred the bill to
death and savs - blow 70 ship
building which is17. enabled the
country to appraiss ~ its real do
structlvs effect. ;, ~ - 10
II I were aslssd 70 sta4s the
only failure tlsat America wss
called up 10 do more than another
after We entered ths waf. would
write down ''rhe Senate filibuster
in 1915 against tie Emergency
Fleet legislaticn." The Senate has
failed often. Never q more costly
failure when the emergency ar
rived! n foresight had Been a.
good as hindsisht. we would have
been building ships. %. sorely
needed, in'1s1s. ,1.s
PASSED BUT H0BBLED.
When Congress reassemblsd in
1916 q new and Improved shipping
bill. making the Secretary Of the
Navy head Of the merchant ship
ping board. was introduced. It
promptly passed the House. Again
It met stupid opposition in the
Senate. Finally. with amendments
emasculatins soins Of its best
features. II passed that body.
When 1t became q law It had
been shorn Of the one feature that
would have given Il immediate ef-
ficiency. Instead Of utilizing the
expert knowledge. Of naval con.
structors tths ablest' naval con-
structor in the world 10 Admiral
Taylor. then chief naval con-
structor, and other naval experts.
Senators demanded asfa condition
to their support Of the lmeasurc.
that ali naval direction should be
eliminated from the bill.
!, e.. II the Senate had passed, the
MEASURE, a. It went through the
House. thsre would have been none
Of the delay which their unwiss
policy invoked. II the Secretary
Of the Navy hid been made head
of the shippins board, the ships
needed would have been designed
at once and their construction be-
gun before the now organization
provided for could b gotten under
way.
There were plenty Of shipping
Board mistakes, but the crowning
one Of al was psrpstuated BY the
Senate which would not permit the
wilson sdministraabn 10 orssniss
. going snd-eff'cieut orEanisation.
Their mistake madS impossible the
building Of ships bsfors W sntersd
the war ana was rsspopilhds ter
the hecsssity q buildihk under whiy
and spur sad at war costs Whsu
''ships ana more ships' was the cry
on both sidss Of the Atlantic.
BIG LOSS m SELLING.
"The selling Of ships that cost
s3,o0o.ooo for ssoo.ooo was an in
sxcusabls piece Of WASTE"
How many men In America made
that statement Z few days a6o
when the press dispatches tasried
the item that whole fieets Of f-wood.
on ships. ordered built under whip
and spur during the war. had been
sold for 4 song. ..,.,. ..,..
The average Yankee. whether
he lived In Texas or Maine, land
you find very thrifty men who hats
vwa sfA In both Qtafs~A said it Vvas a