Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-05-14
Henry Ford's Ship Offer.

Henry Ford has offered to take 400
tied-up merchant vessels off Uncle
Sans hands. If he gets them, Mr..
Ford will scrap nearly all, putting
into operation only ten or a dozen.
At first blush, with America eager
to build up a permanent merchant
marine in the interest of both Amer
lean commerce and national defense
the sale of such a huge number Of
ships, with the understanding that
practically all of them would be
scrapped, would appear the height
of folly. The Government, however,
has. today some $50 idle steel ships,
tied up in the james River, the Hud-
son River and other places. 1t has in
operation about 500 vessels, ranging
from the majestic Leviathan to the
small cargo steamer. The idle ships
necessarily .deteriorate. They were
hurriedly constructed during the war
to meet a great emergency, and many
OF them are not the type needed to
carry on the campaign for the de-
velopment of permanent American
merchant marine.
The idle steel ships have in a meas
ure become burden rather than an
asset to the Government They con-
stitute a constant menace to the ship
ping business generally. For they
might be thrown on the market. at
some future date at extremely low
M fEa
tonnage tremendously and knocking
the bottom out of freight rates. Ship
ping the world over has been struc-
Cling to make ends meet since the
close OF the war. Despite the great
number OF merchant vessels sunk
during the German submarine cam
palgn, the creation Of the American
merchant feet, along with the shin
building by other nations, brought
about an excess of tonnage, with the
carrying business at a. low ehb he
cause of the failure of many mar
kets in Europe. - =.
Eventually, if the American mer.
chant marine is to continue, to sail
the seven seas, there must be re-
Placement of the vessels acquired
and constructed during the war
emergency. In fact, if American
ships are to compete successfully
with foreign, there must. be repIace-
ment with more, up-to- date and
speedier vessels. The fact that hum
dreds OF, steel ships belonging to the
United States remain tied ND and o,,t
OF commission will act as a constant
deterrent, however, when replace
ments are urged upon Congress.
Should war involving many nations
develop today, the tied-pp fleet un-
doubtedly would spring into active
service. But war of that character
is remote. Another decade or two
and the tied-up fleet would be value
less, even in such an emergency. It
may be the wiser course to DESTROY
now, so as to build more effectualIp
Inc indication that Henry Ford.
with his vast resources and Industry
Is about to engage in shipping bust
ness on a large scale is t1eartening
TO those who hope to see the Amer
lean m chant marine permanent.
american industries which own their
own carrie hold out substantial
guarantee of permanency.
The offer of Mr. Ford for large
number OF Uncle Sans idle vessels
may stimulate. a market which has
been dull. 1t is axiomatic that ,,b
one man evinces a. desire for a GER
tain property other men will begin
to look with interest upon it.. Mr.,
Ford's offer for the. purchase of the
Muscle Shoals. plant, for example
brought forth many other offers.