Evening star., 1923-07-06

|. pledge to which / have referred.
II wish to- congratulate the steel
| industry on this important step. 1t
will heal a sore in American In
dustrial life which has been the cause
Of infinite struggle and bitterness for
over a generation, and it marks an
accomplishment from the conscience
of industry itself-a recognition of
responsibility. from employer TO EN-.
! ploye-that gives US faith in rightfuI
solutions of the many tangled prob
lens that are the concomitant of the
rapid growth of America 1t is an
example that / trust the few other
continuous processes in industry
which still maintain the twelve-hour
shift may rapidly follow. 1 should
be proud indeed If my administration
were marked by the final passing of
the twelve-hour working day in
! American life.
There Is another American aspira-
tion ON which I have wished to touch
To-Day. You OF Tacoma are proud of
your harbor and dock facilities. You
provide the dock facilities and the
government improves the harbor. But
! OF what value Is either without ship
ping! merchant marine is the
worthy aspiration of every CONNER
clal nation. There can be no de-
lpendable commerce without carriers
ana there can be no eminence in
american commerce without Ameri-
can carriers. Friendship among ma
IONS does not demand of them the
pFomotlon of competitors trade.
Striving for Marine.
This administration has been ear
neStly striving for a great and ef-
cient American merchant marine. We
| clippers whitened the seas of the
world. But there came a recession
! ana the world war found US an in
considerable maritime power. I have
always believed that there would
nave been no war-certainly it would
nave been Of less duration-if we had
possessed a. merchant marine com
parable to our commercial aspirations.
In the exigencieS of war we builded
SHIPS as no nation ever built before.
We expended approximately three
Dllllons, extravagantly, inefficienuy,
, ana without a program for service
IN peace. We turned the energies OF
the republic to the making Of ships,
builders and we did produce, mar
volouSly, until we owned 100000
tons of merchant shipping, ample for
the greatest mel chant marine ever
dreamed Of for America.
Builded for Emergency.
But 1t is government property.
! builded for an emergency, rather
than for competitive activity in car
! rying world commerce. This admins
tration has cleaned up the vast work
| OF settlement. We encountered the
.paralyzing slump in shipping. we
have settled the enormous claims, and
| liqufdated the stupendous failures.
But Congress did not respond to the
request for legislation calculated to
dispose of our shipping to private
owners and encourage the upbuilding
/ or permanent merchant marine. I
had hoped to turn one extravaganza
of war TO permanent and practical
utility.
The House of Representatives ap-
| proved. The Senate was prevented
from expressing itself. So the gov
ernment is confronted with the pos
session Of vast tonnage, but with
out market in which TO sell or in
spfration to private enterprise to
operate.
Oppose U. 8. Ownership.
Il do not for one moment believe
| in government ownership and opera
| tion as a permanent policy. But I
! prefer that hazardous venture to the
! surrender of our hopes for a mer-
chant marine. So we mean to oper-
ate until we establish, though IL cost
! far more than II was contemplated TO
| expend in promoting private enter
prise. 1t is vital to our national de-
fense; 1t is necessary to our foreign
commerce; 1t is necessary to maintain
American eminence. So we mean to
maintain the flag on the seas, hoping
for the day when Congress may rise
above the obstructionist, when the re-
fiective sentiment of all the country
will sense the great necessity and
compel the legislation required to
turn to the rational way to triumph
on the seas"