Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-02-10
tASKER Tells HOW
SHIP BILLS DEATH
WILL HURT SOUTH
RY DAVID LAWRENCE
Ueased Wire Service to The JoG-nSi.)
(CopyrighT, 1921

WASHINGTON, Feb. S.-Presi-
dent Harding, in his address to con-
gress today, placed squarely before
that body the responsibility for the
success or failure of two major
questions in Americas economic re-
construction, namely, acceptance OF
the terms agreed upon with the Brit
ish for the settlement Of the war
debt and the making of an Amerl'
can merchant marine.
The president declines to accept
either of these matters as solely the
executives responsibility, and insists
that congress act upon them. -
ceptance of the debt settlement is
assured, but the ship SUBSIDY pro
cram is in legislative peril as II
90 silv can be filibustered and killed
without permitting a vote to- be
taken.
Mr.. Harding knows this, and says
congress and the country as g whole
should know the effect of such
step, He begs congress not to leave
the executive with a policy OF eva
sion. If congress doesn't approve the
administration ship subsidy plan, let
it vote that plan down and Suggest
another. That's the president re
ouest. He wants a definite pro-
nouncement from congress Whlch
will aid the shipping board III snap
ing a policy after March 1, because
if ship subsidy fails appropriations
must be forthcoming to build new
ships to replace those now wearing
out, and other expenses must De
met in order to keep government OPP
Grafton on an efficient basis.
I.asker Defends South
Incidentally, Chairman Lasker, of
the shipping board, told thls cor
RESPONDENT today that while lnd!Vld-
ual members of the board mlgnt
have held the view that after Marcn
a it would be advisable to cut OH
ship routes to southern ana gun
ports, he would by no means adVo-
cate such a policy. He declared ne
had lust told this to Senator fletch-
pr. of Florida, Democrat, and others
who had inquired on the supJect.
Mr.. I.asker said it was true the lines
to the southern ports were unproflt-
able, but they were no more unprof-
and that he believed it would be
narrow Interpretation of governmenc
duty if it did anything after March
4 which could even remotely be con-
strued as retaliation for the failure
of southern Democratic senators 10
support the ship subsidy bill.
Mr.. Lasker said he had given Mr..
Fletcher, of Florida. the figures on
all ships. Senator Fletcher is a.vig.
orous opponent of ship subsidy, ana
while he is said to have warmly
praised Mr.. Lasker's operation OF
the shipping board, he argued tnet
the chairman own work was PROOF
of what could be done by efficient
government management. Mr.. LasK-
err is understood to have replied that
if senators had that much commence
in him they ought to be willing TO
accept his judgment as to the abso-
lutte need for ship subsidy after nav
ing made as thorough and intimate
a study of the subject from the IN
side.
.I feel sorry for the southern
states" Mr.. Lasker said, afterward,
'tWhile the shipping board will not
| adopt any policy of discrimination,
| it is apparent to me that if the ship
| subsidy program fails, government
| operation will not succeed, and when
| that collapses and our ships are
worn out, the private companies
| themselves will discriminate against
| the south and fail to make routes to
| southern ports. Circumstances over
which we have no control will de-
| stroy the shipping to southern ports
| in time il the ship subsidy program
| is disapproved-and it will not be
| through any action Of the shipping
| board"
CriticiZes Plan
| The chairman of the shipping
board said some Democratic senators
| had promised that if he would re
/ main as the governments manager
of shipping they would be glad tC
support any requests he might make
! for new appropriation for govern
| ment operation. even as much as
| 500, 100000 a year for new ships
| But. he contended, that's just the
rub. The alternative of ship sub
| sidy is larger appropriations an
| nually to build new ships and hi
didn't believe the taxpayers would
1
length of time, whereas private com
panies would do it because the sub
sidy would make it attractive as {
business proposition, and they would
borrow most of their money in thu
open market.
Only eighteen legislative days are
left on the congressional calendar
The time for action on ship subsidy
grows short. Mr.. Harding has beer
told by senators who have made {
canvass of the situation that if thu
ship subsidy measure comes to {
vote it can be passed. The oppo
nents of the bill know they can tall
it to death and kill the bill by pre-
venting a vote. But Mr.. Harding
wants congress to give the shippinl
board an alternative policy to guide
it in the months Of operation tina
are coming after March 4th and be
fore the next session of congress!
could give to the subject any con
l Cidnra tiOT1