Evening star., 1924-11-24
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN.


Marine. The second article toiu be
published TOMORROW.
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN.
One mile post has been passed in
the post war history of the American
overseas Merchant Marine. 1t has
been pretty definitely determined tha,
the American flag is to remain on
the seas. Determined not only by
leaders in the Government, but also
by the people themselves.
President Coolidge, 1t is known. is
giving the merchant marine situation
close attention. Today comes the re-
port that Edward T. Clark, the Presi-
dents personal secretary, is to be-
come assistant to the president of the
Emergency Fleet Corporation, Leigh
G. Palmer. who was picked by the
President a year ago to operate the
merchant fleet owned by the Govern
ment. The appointment of Mr.. Clark
as assistant to the head of the Fleet
Corporation, it was said, is still being
considered" But the probabilities
are that Mr.. Clark will take the po-
sition and that an announcement to
that effect will be speedily forth
coming.
The selection of Mr.. Clark for this
office. it is expected, will hook up the
white House even more closely than
before with the operation of the mer-
chant marine. Mr.. Clark has had
wide experience, and prior to becom-
ing secretary to Mr.. Coolidge wheI'
the latter was elected Vice President
was connected with Stone & Webster
of Boston.
If the long fight over the proposed
ship subsidy, espoused so strongly
by the late President Harding and
former Chairman Albert D. Lasker OF
the Shipping Board, accomplished no
other result of value 1t at least has
to its credit rousing the interest of
Americans in the merchant fleet. The
reasons why America should continue
to operate an overseas merchant
marine-for national defense and as
an aid to American commerce--were
hammered home in every State of
the Union.
Subsidy Issue Dead.
The subsidy fight was lost. 1t was
contended that through a subsidy only
there is scarcely a man in the executive
or legislati branch of the Govern
ment today who seriously advocates
another attempt to enact subsidy leg
islation. Subsidy. 1t seems. is as dead
an issue as the 16 to l issue of 1896.
at least for the present.
1t still has its advocates, to be sure,
among private shipowners. The United
States Chamber of Commerce has re-
IL orI
measures it will demand to foster
business.
Without subsidy-what? That is
the question which for more than a
year the President. the Shipping
Board. the Emergency Fleet Corpora
tion, Secretary Hoover of the Depart
ment of Commerce and other advisers
of the President have worked on. 1t
is problem beside which the most
complicated crossword puzzle pales
into insignificance.
AS a matter of fact the operation
OF the overseas fleet is still in an
experimental stage. But there have
been certain definite and encourag-
ing signs, promising eventual success
to this latest American undertaking.
There still exist at least three
schools of thought in this country as
to what should be done in regard to
the merchant marine. First, there is
the group which believes in Govern
ment operation per Sc. This group
maintains that 1t is the duty of the
Government to continue to own and
operate the fleet which was built and
purchased during the war at a cost of
nearly $3,000,000.000. 1t believes that
the overseas carriers should be run
by the Government for the benefit OF
all American shippers and importers
and producers and consumers. The
same kind of arguments are ad-
vanced as for the Government owner
ship and operation of the railroads.
Would Get United States Out.
The second group believes that
Government operation is un-American,
is uneconomical. and that the Govern
ment should take steps, no matter
how drastic, to get out of the ship
ping business. getting the ships into
private operation. They see in con-
tinued Government operation of the
ships a threat to private enterprise
and step toward communism.
A third group believes that
eventually many of the routes now
operated by the Government. directly
or indirectly, can be sold to
private American citizens or COM
panies who will continue to operate
them under the American flag, but
that the Government should persist
in its operation, on as economical
lines as possible. of those routes
which by reason of more serious
competition. must continue to meet
losses.
The Government ownership group
at least, have on their side of the
question the fact that the fleet is
now owned and operated by the Gov
ernment. The second group Is
handicapped by the failure of the
subsidy and the situation, due
to the differential against Amer
lean flag vessels in cost of con-
struction and operation. The third
group holds the whip hand. in that
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