The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-11-21
SUBSIDY ACT TO
REDUCE BURDEN
SAYS SPRESIDENT
Not a New and Added Draw on
Treasury, He Declares.
Makes Appeal to Congress to
Support Ship Program.
SHIPS R0TTING At ANCHOR
Present Fleet Costing Taxpay-
ers Fifty Million Yearly.
Unworthy of Public Trust if
Change Was Not Commended.

Change Was Not Commended.
CThe complete text of President
Hardlng's message TO congress Will be
found ON page 1O.)
Washington, Nov. 81. - Frankly
recognizing at the outset the formida-
BILE opposition to the administrations 3
ship program. President Harding went
in person before a joint session of
congress this afternoon and sought
by the sheer force of business logic
and patriotic appeal, to impress upon
the nations lawmakers the urgent
need for enacting the Harding-Lasker
ship subsidy bill without further de-
lay.
Just before President Harding
reached the capitol to begin his ad-
dress, the house merchant marine
committee favorably reported the snip
subsidy bill to the house, thereby
clearing the way for legislative action
The president INDUCED in very little
rhetorical flag waving" altho he did
say it was the patriotic duty or con-
Eress to provide a strong American
merchant marine. and he observed also
that foreign nationals ARE in COM
plete accord with the opposition here
to the pending bill"
Dollars and Cents Argument.
But for the most part, President
Harding laid before congress cold
dollars-and-centS argument
He told the congress that the
American fleet of ships is now costing
the taxpayers of the county $5O,OOO,-
600 a year and the ships are rotting
at their wharves, so that ultimately
the great fleet built at such enormous
cost during the war will represent
total loss
Tne subsidy provisions of the new
n an
nual expenditure by half. In other
words, save S25.OOO,000 and instead
of the ships rotting at anchor. they
will be carrying American commerce
to the four parts OF the earth. ulti-
mately become altogether self sup
porting. and finally, provide the ma
tion with a strong. capable merchant
marine-the dream of years.
VIII Diminish Burden.
IT am not asking your authorize
the treasury" said the president Il
am appealing for a program to dimin-
ish the burden We are already bear
ing
knows of public expenditures aggre-
gatinS $50 600 900 annually. which it
believes could be reduced by half thru
a change OF policy, your government
would be unworthy of public trust if
such a change were not commended,
nay. if it were not insistently urged"
From every point of view-bus. ness,
economic. commercial, prosperity, ma
tiOual pride and national defense-the
president declared it is the duty of
congress to enact this bill without fur
ther de-ay.
1t has long been Americas humil.a-
tion that she had no strong merchant
fleet. the president said. and now
when the ships are rusting in their
berths, it would be "doubly humiliat
ing" il congress fails to act
Cannot Be Postponed.
This problem can no longer be
ignored" he said earnestly. Its at
tempted solution can no longer be
postponed. The failure of congress to
act decisively will be no less dis
astrOus than adverse action"
Three courses of action are possi-
be, and choice among them is no
longer to be avoided:
THE first is constructive-ena the
pending bill. under which firmly be-
lieve an American merchant marine
may be established.
The second is obStructive-continue
government operations and attending
losses and discourage pri- |
vate enterprise by government compe-
tition under which losses are met by
the public treasury. and witness the
continued losses and deterioration un-
til the colossal failure ends in sheer
exhaustion
The third is Observation-Disclosures
the sacrifice of our ships abroad or
the scrapping of them at home, the
surrender of our aspirations ana the
of our impotence before |
the world in general and our humilia- |
ton before the competing world in !
particular.
I have come now to urge the con-
structive alternative, and to reassert
an American we viii.
$4,000, 900 on Good Roads
The president recognized clearly, he |.
said. the American aversion to the /
word subsidy" But he pointed out !
that the present annual outlay of fifty /.
millions consisted a virtual subsidy, I
that the annual expenditure of $751; |
sidy to American commerce and he \
confessed himself unable to see why /
the same principle should be objected /
TO '.iu providing for commercial roads /
on the seas" |
It was a crowded house that Mr.. |
faced. The galleries were l
crowded with people and outside were I
hundreds unable to get in
The diplomatic gallery was filled, 4
for foreign interest in the American /
marine plan is keen.
In the presidents gallery, Mrs i
Harding was missing It was occu-
pied by Gen. Charles E Sawyer. Nal /
colin Jennings. of Columbus; Mrs. 2. /
B. Mclean. of Washington and other
friends of the Hardings-
Ovation for Mrs. FELTON,.
Mrs. FELTON,. the new woman SEN
ator from Georgia. was given an ova-
ion when she marched down the aisle
of the crowded house with the senate.
on the arm of Senator Harris, her
fContlnued on Page Sevent