New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-04-05
U. ). Must Have Merchan,
Reserve if Battle Fleet
Cut, He Says, Opening
Congress Subsidy Fight
Calls Government
Operation .ViciOus'
Position on Sea
fOrCeneratiOns at Stake.
He Warns Opponents

FROM fHe fftbuncS Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, April 4.-Tn a plea
TO the Senate Commerce Committee and
the House Merchant Marine Committee
IN joint session to-day, Chairman
Lasker, of the Shipping Board, urged
the enactment of the Administration
bill for the aid and .upbuldng Of the
American merchant marine, generally
known as the ship subsidy bill.
The examination Of Chairman Laskcr
marked the opening OF the hearings
which will be conducted on the subsidy
measure. They will cover almost every
conceivable phase of the shipping prob
lem, Senator Jones, of Washington.
chairman ID the Commerce Committee.
who is presiding, said tonight he hoped
to wind up the hearings in two weeks.
Chairman Greene of the House Mer-
chant Marine Committee presided to-
day when Senator Zones was absent.
Keen interest was manifested in the
proceedings to-day. Chairman Lasker
was on the stand throughout the dav.
IN the morning he read a lengthy pre-
pared statement and in the afternoon
was subjected to cross examination.
Representative Hardy, of Texas, Demo
crat, opponent of subsidy, led in the
cross questioning. He was backed
by other Democratic members of the
House committee.
Urges Fleet for Defense
The position Of America on the seas
for generations to come is involved in
the tate of the proposed legislation
Mr.. Lasker told the committees. He
enumerated the reasons for govern
ment aid and declared that probably
above all other propositions stood the
one or an adequate merchant marine
Tor America in time of war He laid
much stress on the need of a crcat
merchant marine as an aid and adjunct
to the feet for purposes of self dc
fcnse.
Mr.. Hardy tried to bring out that
the American ship owner did not need
subsidy. Mr.. Lasker, however, CON
tended otherwise. He held that on the
score of original capital cost, interest
insurance. labor and subsistence the
British owner Of shipping had the ad-
vantage. Efforts of Mr.. Hardy to drive
him from this position were not sue
cessful.
Representatives Bankhead, of Ala
bama; Briggs, of Texas, and other
Democratic members joined in the
cross questioning. Throughout the af-
ternoon there was sharp crossfire of
questions and answers and clashes at
times between the opponents of sub
sldy and the witness. Representative
Greene, who presided at the afternoon
session, frequently admonished Mr..
Hardy to oslet Chairman Lasker answer
IN his own way. 1t was made entirely
plain that the Democrats in the House
and Senate purpose to fight the meas
ure at every turn
Opposes Radical Changes
Chairman Lasker urged that radica |
changes in the bill be avoided lest the
whole plan of government aid be put
out of joint and crippled. He empha-
sized the fact that the question in
volved was not merely one of subsidy
or no subsidy.
at involves,' he said, "what shall
become of the governments vast war
built merchant fleet; what shall be
done to end the large losses of govern
mental operation of ships through the
Emergency Fleet Corporation; what
shall be done to insure the overseas
carriage or America s surplus products
in times of peace, and it involves, in
Importance possibly beyond all these
questions, whether America, through
the possession of an adequate merchant
marine, shall be sustaining and
self-sufficient on the seas in time of
war"
Mr. Lasker said that "it is the feeling
of the seven members of the Shipping
Board that the question of government
aid to American ships, including sub
sides, is an al-American one and
should be consciously treated no more
politically than should the needs of
the army, the navy or the postoffice
departments.
He said America emerged from the
World War creditor nation, cast for
continuing first place on the stage of
world commerce. mo nation" he added
"ever held that proud position unless
she was strong in her own rights on
the seas
Referring to the merchant marine
act of 1920 and the necessity of
merchant marine, he said;
The history of our shipbuildng pro-
CONTINUED on page thrce)