Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-02

debate at least no more than grow,
ing sweet potatoes in sand"
But Senator Fletcher protests that
the Shipping Board has sold ships at
too great a sacrifice, and he will pro-
pose curtailing it's power to sell any
but obsolete ships. He says:
THE passenger-cargo ships, which
comprised the American Oriental Mail
Line of Seattle, were sold to the Ad-
miral Oriental Mail Line Dollar) for
the sum Of $4,500,000. These ships
cost the Government approximately
SAC, 100000. The power to sell ships
should be limited to obsolete ships,
and then sales should be made on q
business basis, just as any one not
obliged to sell his property might dis
pose Of it. There should be no au-
thority to sell serviceable ships at less
than cost, allowing for reasonable de-
probation, and then only upon terms
whereby the purchaser will agree to
keep up the service during the life of
the ship"
Chairman O'Conner, in his Official
report to Congress, responding to
resolution No. 262, also advocated q
clearer expression Of permanency in
the law.
The boards report advocated q sub
sidy for both passenger and freight
vessels owned by Americans and fly.
ing the American flag, continuing
until such vessels attain the age of
20 years, a payment proportioned on
speed and computed on the number of
days at sea while carrying cargoes to
and from the United States"
X * n
The word subsidy" arouses the CD
position of many, who forget that the
Government operation involves an an.
nual loss of millions-S16. 100000 to
double that-but that it Is necessary
to maintain the service, Just as Il Is
necessary to maintain the postal serv-
ice, even at loss. A persistent loss
is Subsidy"
When the coal strike in England at
tracted most available foreign shin
ping TO the remunerative carrying of
coal to England, American exports
and imports would have been suspend.
ed, at unimaginable loss to our pro-
ducers and consumers, but for the fact
that the Shipping Board was able to
put into service scores of reserve YES.
sells.
The merchant marine is of vital i'm.
portance for naval auxiliary service.
Great Britain possesses IL large YES.
sells OF the class Of the Mauritania.
which are quickly convertible into
armed cruisers-they are so construct.
ed with that in view.
Great Britain subsidies her shipping
by $123,OS1, 49S a year, aside from her
nldll suDVent1OnS amounting to S2433..
ESQ. That is aside from a subsidy by
canada Of $1,000,000 and mail subven.
tlon OF another $1,000 900: also of Aus
tralla's subsidy Of sS51.637 and mail
suDventlon of an equal amount.
Inc total subsidies paid to maintain
shlpplng by Italy. Spain, France,
Great Britain. Australia and Canada
amounts to $152,733,674, with mail sub
ventions totaling S26,65O,555. In addi.
tlon, there are special rewards for
speed, ETC., adding s122,245,SS4.
Chairman O'Conner states that to.
day the United States has more
privately operated foreign traffic ships
than she has had since the war.
. But even Germany is building mer.
chant marine ships II times as fast "a
the United States. The exact figures
LOT the great powers as to shipbuild-
ing activities for the past five years
snow that the United States has built.
or is building. only 199.S84 gross tons.
IN contrast to Great Britain's ASS.
S4I tons, Japan's 35O,556, Frances
2Of ,239 tons and Italy's S05,556 tons.
rms refers only to ocean-going YES
sells exceeding 1000 tons.
tCopyright. 1927. by Paul v. Collin.)