The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-02-13
M'LENDON MAKES AN
APPEAL FOR SHIP BILL
GEORGIA SECRETARY CRITI-
cIzES PROGRESSIVE" BLOC
FOR HOLDING IT UP.
WOULD BENEFIT THE SOUTH

Be Averted by Relieving Govern
ment of Marine, Convention Told.
Makes Distinct Impression.
In a speech before the annual con-
vention of the Merchant Marine As
ISOLATION, which assembled at Wash
ington last week. Secretary of State
Guyt McLendon, of Georgia, strong
ly indorsed the pending ship subsidy
bill and criticised progressive leaders
in the senate for their action in hold
ing up vote on the measure.
The speech of the Georgia official
came shortly after President Harding
had addressed congress along the
same lines, urging that some definite
action be taken before adjournment in
March.
Mr.. McLendon dwelt upon the
needs of the south Atlantic states in the
matter of foreign trade, which he said
would be established through the
maintenance of great merchant ma
rine, and made distinct impression
upon the convention. In part he spoke
as follows:
president Harding, in his message
formed the country that our feet of
dollars and that they were worth only
fraction of that cost.
Cites Competition.
"The president stated that in oper-
ating less than one-third OF our gov
ernment-owned ships the people were
losing fifty million dollars a year, and
that, under the bill then and now
pending, this loss would be reduced
from fifty million dollars to twenty
Million" Mr. McLendon continued.
"But the president should have gone
little bit further and told congress
and the American people the truth,
namely, that America cannot operate
government owned merchant ships in
competition with other nations Of the
earth that are engaged in overseas
transportation.
Mr.. McLendon outlined the present
participation in foreign commerce,
showing that out of the so per cent
OF world tonnage handled by the Unit
ed States privately owned ships han
died approximately IS per cent while
government owned ships handled only
Is per cent.
"Our participation, as the president
calls it." Mr.. McLendon continued,
Fin the movement of our foreign conn
merce is Is per cent OF the whole. In
handling this IS per cent and using
one-third of our merchant marine the
people lose out of their pockets $780,
100000 annually. If the American
ships privately owned which carried
IS per cent of our commerce lose
money at the same rate the corpora
ton owners would stand to lose more
than $116,000000 year.
Shows Difference.
1.-THE difference between the pri-
vately owned ships and the govern
ment ships is this" Mr.. McLendon
stated. I'm the case OF privately own
ed ships the losses would fall on in
dividual stockholders. In the case of
the government owned ships, how
ever over 100000 American citi-
zens are stockholders, and they never
find out what is going on.
Citizens of Georgia alone have to
pay $1,500,000 year to support this
unsuccessful enterprise, and, while
they do not feel the money as it
moves out of their pockets, it moves
out, nevertheless.
"The record does not disclose the
carrying of single ton of freight in
the tramp service by government own
ed ships Less than rs per cent OF the
merchant ships of the world are en-
gagged in regular service, following fix
ed schedules and established ocean
routes. All of the great steamship
companies of the world maintain with
part of their fleet established SER
vices. They also have large numbers
OF ships that travel the world over
wherever freight may be had. These
tramp ships carry, it is estimated, rs
per cent of the worlds overseas tom
mage. This is the case, and will al
ways be the case, because the north
temperate and south temperate zones
are the producing areas of the world,
and the seasons in these two zones are
exactly reversed, Congress has abso-
lutcly no power to engage in this
tramp service, that is hauling the
commerce of one foreign country to
another foreign country. Therefore,
about Is per cent of the worlds ocean
tonnage is beyond the reach of gov
eminent owned merchant marine.
Congress should speedily pass the
pending shipping bill" Mr.. McLen-
don said in closing The power Of sus-
tanning by taxing the people, profli-
gate waste in the further prosecution
of an unsuccessful enterprise, is a
power to infict calamity upon the
American people"
Mr.. McLendon brought out many
other interesting facts in his address.
He showed that under the pending
and in ten years we would have to
show for it merchant marine oper-
ated and constantly replaced by pri-
vate enterprise, with traffic built up
bv foreign trade which American
producers would develop to their own
material interest, and which our gov
ernment would foster.