The Washington times., 1925-11-16
HITS BOARD,
EXPL AIMS
POLICY
Declares Bureaus Rule Has
Proved FaiIure-Puts Blame
on Political Waste
By ROBERT S. THORNBURGH

Rapping the United States Ship
ping Board for its refusal to Ego
along with President Coolidge,
Secretary of Commerce today
made public what is regarded as
the Administrations Merchant
Marine policy. Hoover declared
that the Government must get
out Of the shipping business As
quickly as private operation can
be established.
To build up ocean lanes Of COM
mercial transportation, that the
Merchant Marine may be trans
ferred profitabIy to private cor
porations, Hoover proposed =
drastic change in the Govern
ment's shipping policies.
Undersecretary Sought
In Z letter 10 congressman White.
Rep), OF Maine. read to the ship
ping conferences of the United
States Chamber of Commerce.
Hoover made the following recon-
mendations:
1. Transfer of government com.
mercial vessels 70 the Emergency
Fleet Corporation. the president Of
which should be named by the
President of United States. to whom
he would be solely responsible.
- 81 q AAuiangpV hAAR6
20 the Fleet Corporation consisting
: OF the Secretaries Of the Treasury
War, Navy, Commerce. the Post
master General, chairman Of the
shipping board and President Of the
Emergency Fleet Corporation.
3. Confer on the President the
authority to create subsidiary cor.
pcrations for special shipping lines,
and to offer stock In them to pri-
yate operators or communities.
q Create the office Of Undersec-
retary of Merchant Marine In the
Department Of Commerce..
GOEernnaent Ownership Fails
1--WE will never have q satisfac-
tdRy merchant marine until 1t Is
4. owned and maintained by private
enterprise. /" Hoover declared.
ssThe Government cannot operate
( ckeaply.
eft cannot secure revenues a.
large as private enterprises.
cit cannot avoid the intermin-
able difficulties Of wastes OF bu-
reaucracy and above all. the direct
and indirect political pressures.
E Government operation and com
! petition with private enterprise.
with the Treasury as reserve fund,
& dulls private Initiative.
n1a& naHf faf f&AUarn emf
operation as quickly as we can
establish private operation. 1t is
useless to renew proposals to sub
eidize shipping"
Hoover said the Government must
+ continue to operate its commercial
liners on certain important trade
routes until they are built up to the
point where private operators can
p undertake them, or until they have
proved impossible OF successful
operation.
1--WE need criteria for determining
when successful operation IL I'M
possible on a particular route ne
continued. mo section OF the
country has a right to call on the
Government to operate ships at
loss. but some local communities
might be willing to join with the
Government in the experiment.
Pointing out that the Shipping
Board was conceived originally for
regulation of Determinations in
ocean traffic, Hoover characterized
Il as hopeless as form of organiza-
ton to build up and administer the
Merchant Marine.
Each member has a four-way in
dependent responsibility. Hoover
declared. He is responsible Tor
every act of the board to the coun-
try as a whole, to his particular
constituency, to his political party,
and finally to Congress.
Divided Responsibility Futile
Responsibility to the President,
the one responsibility which every
administrative officer Of the Gov.
eminent should acknowledge under
the spirit of the Constitution, lie
denied by the board.
Every member Of the board, II
left alone. probably could have
made a success OF the Merchant
Marine before now.
However, such a set-up OF joint
and divided responsibilities, even II
comprised of consummate genius, il
the negation Of possible success In
business management and even OF
the very plan of our Government.
here should be single headed