The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-05-22
DOLLAR URGES
j. 5. NEED Of
MARINE
Only Way to Stay on Seas Is
to Have Great Merchant
Fleet, He Says.
By w. s. COUSINS.
Copyright, 1923. by Cosmopolitan
NaWa Sarvina

News Service)
NEW YORK, May 22.-"There is
only one way that America can
hold her own on the seven seas
and that is by having a merchant
marine equal to that of Great
Britain"
. With flashing eyes, and virile
voice, Robert Dollar, America S
foremost ship owner operating YES
sells in the Pacific, thus today
gave his views on shipping-a
three billion dollar unsolved prob
lem which still confronts the Amer
lean government.
THE greatest handicap to achiev-
ing this object-breaking even with
Britain in carrying the world g
commerce-is not the Withholding
Of a ship subsidy but the harmful
regulations under which our ships
are compelled to operate, as against
foreign owned ships.
Make the regulations right and
we will get the ships. If l
have been able to operate British
registry ship successfully Through
the Canadian Dollar Company |
am sure that my company can do
the same thing when sailing under
the stars ana stripes.
Dollar operates seventy-five ships,
fifteen of which are under British
registry. He also operates twenty
United States government ships
as we'll as four owned by the
Japanese government. He has
thirty-six other ships operating
under American registry, fourteen
of them being sailing vessels.
Ship Owners Needed.
what this country needs" said
Dollar, sis more SHIP OWNERS
men who actually own and operate
their ships, and take an interest
in building up the business of ex-
porters and importers. When we
get these kind of shipping men, our
foreign trade problem will be
easier of solution.
1.-The ship owner who is on the
Job will secure cargoes for his
ships when other means fall down.
If he cannot get his cargo in any
other way, he will buy it. By
that / mean that he will purchase
the products of foreign port and
sell them in the American market.
LET me illustrate my point, I"
Sdlu the veteran HSou VI Luc DOlLdA
line.
By Small Beginnings.
"a few years ago ] sailed on
one of our ships from Shanghai to
Manila for the purpose of in
vestigating the feasibility OF i'm
porting dried cocoanut into Amer
lea. Finding no other expedient,
/ purchased 1000 tons of copra and,
after some negotiations with bust
ness men at home, l cabled an
agreement to furnish 5000 tons
per year for three years. This was
the beginning of a business which
for the whole country last year
amounted to over twenty-five mil
lion dollars.
Another time when one of my
ships was returning empty from
China, / purchased a cargo of
Chinese pig iron which we brought
This also was pioneering in line
recent years"
Mr.. Dollar was severe in his
criticism of the policies that are
now pursued by the United States
Shipping Board in the operation
Oh the SHIPS uHueT It's JuFISulCLlOn.
when I go to England to dis
cuss shipping matters" said Mr..
Dollar, IT meet the biggest men
in the British empire; men who,
like Lord Inchcape, can talk ships
and shipping from the topmast
right down to the keel. When
English shipping laws are made,
the parliament has the advantage
of the advice and experience of
forty.two prominent British ship
owners who are honored members
OF that body. The American
Congress contains not a single
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