Evening star., 1924-05-02

I merce. and no further acts Of retail
| iation would be possible. There may
be rate war on imports. into
| America, but even British vessels art
Uncle Sam holding the purse. oul
ships can stand as much loss on west
| ward traffic as can our competitors
If any nation undertakes a war tt
drive us off the seas. "A survey OF
| eight British lines with an invest
| ages, showed a loss of 1877 per cent
| Other countries show equal losses. ir
| spite Of the quietude of American
! ships, which has given to the for
| eigners our traffic to the amount OF
| a million dollars a day, as stated by
Vice President Piummer of the Ship
| ping Board, The whole world came
out of the war with surplus ships
and there is no reason why the United
States should be chief among the
fdlers in shipping, claim the propo-
| nents of this program. 5-..-'
i ~ X
In speech by Mr.. Plummer before
the marine securities committee OF
| the American Bankers Association OF
America, which he made yesterday
he called attention to the Frightening
prospects of shipping, as testified by
| the Journal of the American Bankers
Association. In the editorial he
quoted 1t was pointed out by Lloyds
that Argentine shippers had been
paying such attractive rates that
ships had almost abandoned Canadian
grain shippers.
Today" said Mr.. Plumner, "the
rate on grain out of Boston, where
Shipping Board vessels are operating,
is II cents per quarter less than the
rate charged on grain out of Mon
treal. cite this as one more
proof that the withdrawal of Amer
lean merchant ships from the for
eisn commerce of this country will
mean an increase in TRANSPORTATION
charges which will cost our people,
producers and consumers, much more
than any losses the continued opera
ton OF these ships by the board can
bring"
4 x *
The world situation in regard TO
idle ships is improving in spite OF
Engiand's activity in building last
year 1,S95,000 tons, while the United
States built only 1855 tons. Idle
shipping of the world decreased last
year 100000 gross tons, OF which
decrease more than half is credited
to the United States. Rates were
only to per cent higher than in
19ll-l9l3, which was too low for
many of our ships to undertake com
missions. With the new discrimina-
tion in favor of American ships more
OF the idle vessels can be put into
service without great increase in in
vestment.
< r
Two committees of government Of
ficials have been appointed by Presi-
dent Coolidge to study the policies of
the Shipping Board. One committee,
composed of Secretaries Mellon,
Weeks, Wilbur and Hoover, together
with Chairman O'Conner of the Ship
ping Board and Admiral Palmer,
president of the Emergency Fleet
Corporation. will study the recondi-
tionfng of the government fleet. The
second committee is to study the CO.
ordination of rail and ocean traffic
and conference rates.
There is to be a change in the
Shipping Board, whereby its regula-
the operating functions-the Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation becoming
separate from the Shipping Board.
The Fleet Corporation will have a
president to be named by President
Coolidge and will be composed OF as
sistant secretaries of the Departments
OF the Treasury, Commerce, War and
Navy.
While the Shipping Board would
probably have difficulty in regulating
rates OF foreign vessels, it can pos
sibly reach that end partly through
port dues and demurrage. %
Copyright, 1924. by Paul ". Ccllina.)