Evening star., 1924-06-19
MERCHANT MARINE j.
PLANK IS DRAFTED
Continued Operation Of Fleet by
q. s. to Be Put Flatly Before
Democratic Convention.
FLETCHER BEHIND MATTER
Senator Said to Back Shipping
Board Proposal.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

star Correspondent of The Star.
NEW YORK. June ia merchant
marine plank for the Democratic na-
tional platform has been drafted by
Commissioner Frederick I. Thompson
Of the United States Shipping Board,
after consultation with Senator
Fletcher OF Florida, ranking member
of the Senate committee on commerce.
and will be soon brought to New York.
The proposed plank puts the Demo-
cratic party squarely on record as
favoring the continued operation by
the government OF the overseas deet
now owned by the government. as
long as 1t may be necessary to aid
American commerce and as long as a
merchant marine is needed for ma
tional defense.
The plank also puts the party on
record as favoring preferential treatment
Tor American merchant vessels, includ-
ing preferential tariff rates, etc. 1t criti-
cizes the Republican administration Wig
orously because of it's failure to put in
operation the provisions of the existing
merchant marine law giving such
preference to American vessels.
Thompson 1s Delegate.
Commissioner Thompson is a dele
gate to the convention from Ala
bama- He is expected to be a MEM
the Democratic national convention,
which will draft the platform. his
proposal regarding the merchant
marine plank will undoubtedly re-
ceive serious consideration 1t is un-
derstood that Senator Fletcher is in
bv xxyff ha hov
In the opinion OF Commissioner
Thompson. Senator Fletcher and
others Of the Democratic party who
are keenly interested in the upkeep
or the American merchant marine,
the merchant marine plank adopted
by the Republican national convention
In Cleveland does not go nearly far
enough.
But the Republican platform never
theless pledges that party to the con-
unued operation of the government
owned fleet by the government as
long as conditions make 1t necessary
to keep the American flag on the seas,
although the hope is clearly express
ed that different conditions in the
carrying trade will make it possible
ferred to private ownership and op-
Grafton.
One Hopeful Sign Seen.
Before such a condition can be
brought about, however. the differ
entail in the cost of maintenance and
operation of the merchant vessels now
existing between the vessels dying
the American flag and those flying the
nag of Great Britain, for example,
must be cut way down.
There is one hopeful sign for the
American merchant marine, however.
in the plank adopted by the Repub-
licans and that now proposed by the
q IN,
both a firm declaration that the
United States intends to go through
with the maintenance of merchant
marine, whether 1t be government
owned and operated by private Amer
lean citizens.
In the Republican platform Of 1920
the party was put on record as favor
Ing a merchant marine under the
capital and operated by private
energy" The operation of the mer-
chant ships by the government.
which, as an outgrowth of the war.
owned a tremendous fleet, was not
mentioned. But this year the Repub-
licans have come to the conclusion
that the government must stand back
of the ships 1t now owns and oper
ates until conditions are changed, IL
the American flag is to be kept in
the overseas trade.
Plank Moro Specific.
The proposed plank now put for
ward by the Democrats also is much
more specific than that adopted by
the Democrats in 1920. 50 far as de-
claring for the continued operation
Of the fleet by the government
What the American merchant ma
rine needs more than any one other
thing for its further development Is
the promise of permanency. With the
government vessels in measure
kept on the auction block contin-
uously as they have been several
years. it has been difficult to build
up the business and to build up
a strong organization for their oper.
alton.