Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-04
SENATE ENDORSES
SHIPPING INQUIRY
Orders Government to Sub
nit Plans for Permanent
Merchant Marine.

The Shipping Board and the Depart
ment Of Commerce are called upon to
submit plans to the Senate on January
l for the maintenance Of permanent
American overseas merchant marine
in a resolution introduced by Senator
Wesley L. Jones Of Washington and
adopted yesterday by the Senate.
The two Government agencies men
toned are directed also to conduct
joint inquiry into the shipping situa-
tion before making their report to
the Senate.
The present merchant marine, Sena-
tor Jones declared. Is falling into de-
cay and unless steps are taken to re-
place it. the American flag may dis
appear from the overseas trade.
when the World War broke out, !"
said Senator Jones. urging the pas
sage of the resolution, there were
only Is vessels under the American
flag OF over 1000 gross tons engaged
in the overseas trade"
Injury to Commerce Cited.
He pointed out the injury done to
American commerce and the hard
ships which fell on business man and
farmer alike after the World War be
gan. because the foreign tonnage,
needed to transport American prod
ucts. was withdrawn to be used for
troop ships or was tied up in German
ports.
LAS a neutral power" said Senator
Jones. I'VE had the right to trade
with the belligerents. They all sought
our products. We had few ships of
our own. We had to depend largely
upon the ships of the warning nations
for the carriage of our products and
so our products had to face the dan
ger of these ships. The inevitable
happened. With an extreme demand
for our products and with shipping
facilities greatly reduced. rates in
creased by leaps and bounds.
agriculture was the greatest
sufferer. The farmer is most vitality
interested in having adequate ship
ping for his surplus products. They
are perishahle and cannot remain long
in the warehouse or on the dock with
out loss, nor can the farmer pass the
increased carrying charge TO the
buyer or consumer. and so high
freight charges are reflected gem
orally in the low prices to the pro
Queer.
business was taxed approximately
billion dollars in increased carrying
charges, solely because we did not
have an adequate merchant marine
when the World War began. This
was a double loss in that 1t went
largely TO foreigners. The farmer
paid much of 1t. because he was less
able than any one else to recoup him
self
THE loss by deterioration from CON
gestion and delay at our shipping
ports can safely he put at not less
than $500 900 900 and here again the
farmer was the greatest sufferer.
Loss Cannot BE Measured.
mo one can measure the injury to
business that can be traced directly
to our lack of ships. but it was doubt
less in excess of 00000,000.
These ships that cost so much are
wasting away. They will soon be
gone. What will we have to show for
them? Nothing The ships that cost
over So. 900 900 900 are estimated to be
worth now only about 5000 900 900.
1t is a conservative estimate, in my
judgment. that our lack of ships at
the beginning of the World War has
cost our people more than $500 600
600. What more is needed to show
the financial side alone that we can
well afford to pay out $25, 200, 900 or
S30,000.000 year for new ships and
aid in the construction of new ships
and their operation?
THE ships that cross the north
Atlantic. except two. are from - to
20 years old They will soon have to
be replaced The real problem con.
! fronting us is that of continuance of
| the service and the vital phase of
| that is replacement.
Time for Congress to Act.
The time is fast approaching when
! the American people through its
| Congress must determine whether II
| is going to have a merchant marine
| or whether it is going to surrender
| the field it was forced to enter by
war necessities and which. as a great
commercial nation with an ocean or
| each side OF it. I think it should
! continue to occupy.
! ITO have permanent American
! merchant marine we must adopt a
| policy that will induce private capital
, not only to take over services but to
maintain them by replacing the
| present ships as they wear out with
| the most modern and efficient ships
afloat, or else the Government must
make provision by building ships to
| replace the present ships and so Sc
! sure business men that the service
| will be maintained, or else we must
! frankly confess our inability to main
| tain a merchant marine and surren
| der this to our commercial rivals
II want to see the merchant ma
| rine privately owned and privately
! operated. I am sure that such q
merchant marine will be more cheap
| ly built and more efficiently and eco
! nomically operated than a Govern
ment merchant marine and I will
| gladly support any measure that will
| insure such merchant marine"