The Washington times., 1922-07-13
SHIPPING BILL .
ISANALYzED BY
Penn. SENATOR
George Wharton Pepper Re.
veals Vital Facts Facing
Our Merchant Marine.
By GEORGE WHARTON PEPPER.
Ir.I4..a s4aa... s....4.. a.a.,. P.nnsxIxania

BY GEORGE WHARTON PEPPER.
United states senator from Pennsyivsnia.
(wrItten Expressly for Universal serviee)
Uncle Sans ships! Shall he
sail them, sink them, scrap them,
or sell them? And if he decides
60 sell them, shall he complicate
the situation by extending the
provisions of the Eighteenth
amendment to cover them? ,2.,
Embody Whole Problem.
These question embody the whole
problem of an American merchant
marine. To answer them wisely Is
Q test of statesmanship.
We actually own the ships. They
represent an expenditure of approx
mately three and a half billions Of
our money. What shall we do with
them?
Conceivably, the Government Of the
United States might operate them
that is. we might operate the l 400
or more ships which are made of
steel The less said about the con.
crete ships the better. The fleet
Of wooden ships running into the
hundreds is useless for any purpose.
AS to the steel ships. the United
States Shipping Board, after diligent
effort, has succeeded In making
operating contracts to cover 440 Of
them. On these we are losing over
haf ko 80
are paying out over $50, ,000, 900 a
year in excess of the revenues re.
ceived. We cannot long ~continue
this kind Of business venture, and
for three reasons we cannot deal In
this way with the remaining thou
sand:
Great Problems Arise.
First, because it would be ruin
Gus: second, because operating man.
ayers cannot be found to take them
over; third, because forty ships is
the largest number that any one
concern has ever operated success.
fully.
Neither the Government nor any
other single owner could satisfactor-
lily operate 1.400 ships. Moreover,
most Of these ships are of one type.
To run an American merchant ma.
rine with such an equipment would
be like trying to operate a railroad
which owned nothing but flat cars.
II we cannot operate the ships our
selves, shall we sink or scrap them?
II we do either of these things II
means good-by merchant marine.
This in turn means economic and
commercial disadvantage to us. for
Great Britain and other nations
would in that event be the sole car.
riers of the worlds commerce, while
our own commerce would be left to
the mercy of those whose interest
II is to show US no mercy. More.
over, we should then have no trained
naval reserve and no peace ships
susceptible of being converted into
war ships in time Of need. II we sink
or scrap we shall have sacrificed
that sea power without which no
nation can become great or continue
In safety.
II we cannot sail, sink or scrap
the ships, why not sell them to
American purchasers upon. such
terms as to stimulate healthy
and widely, diffused interest in com.
mercial shipping?
The President thinks we ought to
do this and his clear-headed adviser.
Mr.. Lssker of the Shipping Board.
and his associates, are OF the same
opinion. They believe that after ex.
haustive study they have found the
right way. The way which they
suggest is the enactment by Con.
gress of the ship subsidy bill. I.
favor the earlv. ena 1T p,apt ~ th;s
bill during the present session.