Evening star., 1923-12-09
Save the American Fleet!

When German submarines were
ships of war some years ago and there
was a consequent shortage Of means
OF water transport, this country be-
gan to build cargo carriers and pas
senger ships at more rapid rate
than heretofore. When the United
States entered the war in the spring
OF 1917 it undertook as part of its
contribution to the cause Of the al
lied nations Of Europe to produce in
record time a great fleet Of merchant
men, to carry supplies across the tor
pedo-infeSted seas and to transport
its own army to the field of battle.
When the war ended a little more
than five years ago this government
had developed great fleet Of such
ships, its own property. which sud-
denly became comparatively useless. 1t
undertook to put that fleet into opera.
tion, In large part through a govern
ment-directed agency.
There was hope then, as there is
still hope, that through this wartime
development Of shipbuilding in this
country America would regain her
position on the high seas as a carrier
of goods, would bring into being an
American merchant marine reaching
all the worlds ports. offering facilities
for the transport of American goods
and securing a fair share of the trans
port of the goods of other lands.
Thus far that hope has proved
futile. The American merchant ma
rine remains a fleet in existence but
not in effective operation. Owing to
the lack of a definite constructive
policy on the part Of the government
toward the mercantile carriers the
process Of turning this war-period
emergency fleet into profitable chan
nels Of trade has Jagged, has. in fact,
been almost checked.
In another part Of The Star to-
day appears an article which tells the
story of the American merchant ma
rine, and the reasons why 1t is now
threatened with destruction through
lack of proper administrative policy
and through foreign competition.
II is shown that European govern
ments, so recently the allies Of this
country in war, are engaged in sys-
tenatic effort TO prevent the develop
ment of the American merchant ma
rine. And strange to say. they are
being aided and abetted in this ef-
r<1,-% t.y n~so hay acaaIy
consciously, others unconsciously.
The time has come for action that
will rescue the merchant marine Of
the United States from its lamentable
situation Of laggard impotence, its
threatened virtual destruction. The
ships are in being, the goods are
here to be carried overseas and are
in foreign lands to be carried back.
The first necessity Is assurance, GER
tainty Of continued operation as
national feet, wk<her under govern
ment ownership a,3l direction, or gov
ernment control, Or government sub
sidy. AmericaJ shippers must be
guaranteed cont Nled service under
the American g. If not, even
American trade t.ill be lost to Ameri-
can ships. Already the process Of
winning cargoes away from the ships
under our flag has been carried to
the point where half-empty bottoms
are almost the rule on leaving these
ports and quarter-filled bottoms are
frequent In the case Of American
ships sailing homeward.
A vast sum Is represented in this
fleet of comparatively idle merchant
men. A wartime expenditure that
stands for the ungrudging, unhesi-
tating contributions Of the American
people for victory is wasting for lack
OF proper support, direction and use.
Now the matter is to be brought
squarely to Congress with specific
plans and proposals which, II adopted,
will start the process Of organiZa-
tion of the merchant marine upon
terms that will give battle to the
foreign interests that are seeking to
drive the American flag from the high
seas.