Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-22
America on the Sea.

America on the Sea.
The United States Lines, American
flag merchantmen, plying between
New York and North Atlantic Euro.
pean ports, showed a profit Of 1871 900
for the fiscal year ending June 80.
Announcement of this change from
loss to profit on the part Of the Gov
eminent owned and Government-oper-
ated ships should bring a thrill of
satisfaction and pride to all Ameri'
cans. For the first time since the
United States Lines, established as a
passenger and freight carrying line
across the North Atlantic, with the
mighty Leviathan as its largest and
speediest ship, Gen, Dalton, president
of the Fleet Corporation, is in posi-
ton to declare profit to the Govern
inent on operation.
The problem of establishing a per-
manent American merchant marine
in the overseas business has not been
entirely solved. The report now made
by Gen. Dalton is encouraging. The
sale of a number Of Government
owned lines of ships running from
the Pacific to the Orient to private
American capital brings hope also that
the American flag, flown by merchant
vessels, will remain on the seas.
The accomplishment of the United
States Lines is all the more remark
able because it operates in the most
highly competitive shipping field, that
for wears has been dominated by the
British, and to less extent by the Ger
mans, the French and the other mari
time nations of northern Europe.
Americans have taken pride in the
establishment Of the overseas mer'
chant marine since the World War.
More and more they are travelling on
American vessels in preference to for
eign flag ships. Americans are COM
ing to realize that an adequate mer-
chant marine is essential to the COM
merce of the United States, the, great
est in the world today, and to the ma
tional defense. In the past too many
Americans, with capital invested In
foreign shipping, have turned a deaf
ear to the plea for permanent Amer
lean merchant marine. Too often the
argument has been advanced that the
British and the other maritime ma
tions could be trusted to carry our
commerce satisfactorily, and that they
could do it at lower cost.
Since the close of the World War,
the merchant marine problem has been
awaiting solution. The maritime laws
of the United States, requiring more
men in crews and better living condi-
tons for them, have been a handicap
in competition with foreign shipping.
President Harding endeavored to force
through a Government subsidy for
shipping, but failed. Slowly but sure
ly, however, the operation Of the
American flag ships in foreign trade
has been forging to the front. BY
far the greatest number of those now
operated are still owned by the Gov
eminent and operated through private
agencies. Many have been sold on
easy terms to private American ship
ping interests that have continued to
operate them.
Government operation has not been
- the American way in business and
transportation. But 1t became clear
long ago that without the backing of
the Government the American ships
for the most part would be forced off
the seas by competition. The British,
the Germans, the French, for eX-
ample, all allow their merchant ship
ping government aid or subsidy, either
direct or indirect. So far, the Con-
gress has not hit upon plan, or been
willing to support a plan, Of aid to
American shipping. 1t is time, now,
that Congress tackle the problem and
deal with it effectively. There must
be requirements of the present Ameri
can shipping before long, or the flag
will disappear from the seas because
of the obsolescense of the vessels. I'm
less some permanent system is estab-
lished, requirements are not likely to
be made.