The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-23
MARINE PLAN NON-PARTISAN


 There has been some disposition to re- gard the mooted plan of establishing the merchant marine as a partisan issue. Yet the importance of a merchant marine is na- tional and so vitally affects our ability to market our surplus advantageously in time of peace and the completeness of our de- fense in time of war that the issue trans cends partisanry. The merchant fleet Is a national achievement under stress of war and during a Democratic administration. So indispensable is that fleet regarded from national viewpoint that Republican ad- minstration has put forth effort to make it permanent. Many Democrats of unim- peachable loyalty to the party, and many Southern Democratic journals of unwaver- ing allegiance have not found it inconsistent with their Democratic principles and sta tion to declare themselves outright for the merchant marine bill which the late congress so miserably failed even to consider. Con- gressmen and senators from the South there were who resolutely proclaimed their SUD- port of the bill and voted for it when op- portunity offered.
 The question of a merchant marine is not maritime issue, but an industrial and com mercial issue affecting every producing dis trict, whether of the central and inland states, or whether of the coast. The Gulf states especially have much at stake, because the future of Gulf shipping is involved. This has been perceived by the Louisiana delega- tion to a man, for they know that the des- tiny of their port city depends upon the existence of an American merchant marine and steamship lines equitably distributed among all the ports so as best to serve the producing hinterlands. It has been per ceived by many Democratic journals of standing and authority.
 The New Orleans Times-Picayune says that "the issue is not one of the kind that should be fought out on party lines," and that "the attempt to force partisan ine-ups and to play politics with a question of greater national importance than many of us realize should be discouraged by thought full citizens" Sound statesmanship is con struetive and not obstructive. Says the New Orleans Item: "We must keep the flag on the seas, that the farms be kept prosperous, the mines and factories busy, the boats moving on the waterways, the trains upon the railroads, and the trucks and wagons on the country roads" In reference to the subsidy the New Orleans States remarks: "As a hide-bound Democratic paper the States does not hesitate to say that patriot ism must rise above party policies" Other Southern Democratic journals unequivocally for the subsidy are the San Antonio Elk &lo 4L. cI, Tribune and the Forth Worth Record, the last named saying that the issue should be approached "from national and economic angle" Other papers to express themselves favorably are the Montgomery Advertiser the Atlanta Constitution, the Atlanta Geor- gian, the Charlotte Observer, Richmond Times-D Dispatch, Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch and Newport News Press.
 There is unmistakable evidence that it ;s generally accepted that there are some ques- tions which are so nationally important as to preclude their consideration from a strictly partisan viewpoint, just as Sena- tor Underwood held when he said that in the question of international ornaments partisan politics stopped at the three-mile limit. In the same manner the merchant marine represents the extension of our trade influence beyond the three-mile limit and thus operates outside of the domain Of par tisan politics. This question of the dis posal of our merchant fleet has not been settled, but when it is settled it should be in such a manner as to confer the greatest possible public good to the entire nation, inland as well as maritime sections.