Evening star., 1922-07-12
Reflection of Nations Views
Ought to Prove Helpful.

SA6AS w A4SsS
That the members OF the House
are fortunate in being able to get
the opinions of the people back
home" before being compelled to act
upon tho pending ship subsidy measure
Is the view Of many of the editorial
writer's who arc discussing the sub
ject. The line Of condemnation or
of favor still is very sharply drawn.
but at present the question of sec
tionalism seems to have disappeared.
Most Of the debate on tho usefulness
of the subsidy hinges on whether 1t
really is the only way that the mer-
chant marine can be saved for the
nation. Editors generally seem agreed
that the ships must be held available
in case Of future war, the only diff
ference of opinion being whether the
subsidy method really is the better
one.
In the view of the Asbury Park
Press the fact that the House is in
recess will afford a splendid oppor-
actual sentiment Of the nation toward
the subsidy. They will be able. 1t
says, ito set before tho public the
favorable view of the pending sub
aidy measure that Is held by the
administration. 1t may be that the
public will be persuaded. II, may be.
on the other hand, that the congress-
men will find themselves up against
the usual stone wall of opposition OF
apathy and return to Washington
determined to let the measure die,
for the present session at least" Still.
the Baltimore News cannot indorse
nf
"any one who takes the trouble to
stop the next half dozen people
whom he meets on the street and
ask them their opinion of the mer-
chant marine will probably secure
results that are interesting, put ne
win certainly not secure results that
are particularly relevant to the very
technical question of how We may
best handle this problem. The
chances for an intelligent solution
will gain nothing from popular ref
erendum per congressman uniess
thew must place their reliance In
expert- opinion" Granting, however,
All this is so, the Philadelphia. Bull
Ietin argues that mo congressman
should be permitted to come TO q
vote on the bill with any misappre.
hension Of his constituents desire In
M The % early belief that the middle west
opposed the subsidy is held erroneous
BY the Lexington Leader, in view OF
the assurances by Malcolm Stewart,
who is more Intimately familiar with
sentiment On that question than any
other man." and, it declares, after re-
viewing the necessity foE getting yes
sells now tied up at the docks back
into sea service, that 'tif there is q
better policy than that of the Presi-
dent some democratic statesman
should rise and give us the informa-
ton" This opinion also Is held BY
the St Louis Clebe-Democrat, which
points out that 1--WE have on our hands
. q yoracious founding whose keep 10
most expensive. II, in leaving 1t on
another's doorstep, we can put In tne
basket MONEY enough to insure that
1t viii be kept and raised to useful-
ness. why should we not do 80, par-
ticuiarly when 1t will be raised better
than we could raise It and we can
save something by SO doing? How
eyer. the Columbus Ohio State Jour
nal considers the remedy worse than
the disease, because cit almost certainly
would cost the taxpayers billions De-
fore they got rid Of It, IL they ever
did And all the time II would be en-
coIIraEing and fostering the bad prtn-
ciDle o. eovefnment interference In
Hrfya$e business II II generally the
bert policy when one has . bad in-
snStxnolak On ouesB hands 10 sell II 1ox