The Washington times., 1922-12-19

80 BILLION
GIVEN To
BRITISH
Commander Spafford Points
to Need Of Merchant Marine
to Aid U. 8. Defense.
By COMDR. J. T. SPAFFORD,
u. 8. N. Retired.


u. 8. N. Retired.
Written for Cosmopelitan News Service.
Germany again Is extending
every effort to re-establish her
merchant marine which she lost
rs the result Of the great war.
The Hamburg American line
again has forty-three ships in the
foreign trade and is building ships
Of a total Of over 100000 tons.
They are building in Germany to-
day the largest motor-driven
vessels in the world; we know OF
two 21,000-tons cargo carriers
now building which are to be
motor-driven.
Paying Foreign Subsidy.
Every time that we pay q foreign
owned ship for hauling our goods
we are paying subsidy to that
country. We are paying to that
foreign country for part of the up
keep of their national defense.
During the last seventy years
we have paid to British shipping
alone over $4,000, 100000. Think
Of 1t! Not one cent OF that money
came back in barter or trade. 1t
was just so much gold shipped out
Of our country and we gave over
that amount of our natural re-
sources for our carrying trade. We
certainly can figure that rs per
cent of that fifty billion was profit
and il now being taxed as income.
1t doesn't make any difference
how many orders are received.
there will be no dividends unless
you deliver the goods.
Ships Aid to Defense.
Admiral Jellicoe stated that for
the defense Of England the royal
navy and the British merchant ma
rine had equal value, Think Of It!
Every person travelling on a Brit
ish. italian. Japanese ship. or ship
ping goods on one Is Ahelpfng to
maintain the offensive and defen.
sives power Of a possible enemy.
President Harding in his address
to Congress, did not bring out the
defense value of the merchant ma
rins.
We are not going to prevent war
by means of disarmament treaties.
We will only lessen our cost OF
preparedness. People are the same
today as always. They will fight
for their rights against aggression.
In the foreign trade which has
been given to foreign ships we
have poured our wealth into other
lands, and they are able to tax that
wealth. Could we but go back and
gather up that unknown wealth.
the interest on it would pay the
annual expenses of this country
several times over;
Flag Best Advertisement.
Further than this we have no
better means Of advertising our
goods than through the medium of
our own flag.
We must put our ships to work
and not pay subsidy to foreign
countries. We must sell our ships
20 that they can be economically ad-
ministered under the American flag.
But we cannot sell our ships to
Americans to be operated under our
own flag unless we do something
to help the buyers. No man will
continue In business at loss and
you could not give away the ships
to anyone who had operated them
In = foreign trade.
Operates Only 800 Ships.
We ought to turn down our heads
In shame II we have to sell our
vessels for junk, or IL we allow our
81 900 zoo, 600 worth of ships to rust
out, while other nations accept
subsidy from us and build UP q,
large part Of their navies at our
we win miss our chance to show
the most beautiful flag in the world
to all the seven seas and deprive
many workmen throughout our
country Of the means to make a
livelihood for themselves and fam
ilies.
The United States owns over
400 merchant ships and Is able
70 ret only about 800 operated.
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