Evening star., 1927-10-23
CONTINUED from First Page,

Continued from First Page.l
ing oil production, 100000 manu-
featuring and mechanical industries.
12,S00.0 900: transportation. s.063.000:
trade, 4,240, 900; public service, 770,-
600: professional service, 2,140, 900;
domestic and personal service, 3,400,-
900, and clerical, 3.120,000.
The dependence of these workers
upon the foreign trade of the United
States is obvious. in view of the huge
exports and imports of this country.
Indeed, the modern life and economic
scheme Of the United States closely
iraterweaves all workers. With the
farmers looking to foreign markets
to dispose of one-sixth Of their prod
ucts. with millions upon millions OF
dollars worth of manufactures sent
abroad each year. it is not difficult
to understand that sudden cessation
of this trade would infiict the greatest
hardship upon the people of America.
An adequate Navy and merchant ma
rine is the surest and also the cheap
est insurance against any disastrous
cessation Of our foreign trade.
A nation without an adequate mer-
it's foreign commerce hamstrung at
any time. Industrial upsets in other
countries. like the great coal strike
in England in 1926, may throw the
transportation system out OF gear.
= War, as in the case of the war between
the allies and the central powers in
1914, may make shipments OF Ameri-
can goods abroad impossible for the
very lack Of bottoms in which to
transport them, unless there be real
American merchant marine.
During the British coal strike tom
mage under the British flag, ordina.
rily available to American farmers for
the shipment abroad of wheat and
cotton, was DETECTED to the coal
carrying business, to import fuel to
keep the British people from freezing
and the industries Of England from
hating entirely. If it had not been
for the fact that the United States
had certain amount of tonnage
available, and the Shipping Board was
able to commission q number of adj
ditional ships then laid up, American
farmers and cotton growers would
have stood to lose heavily on their
crops through their inability to reach
foreign markets at the proper time.
Another instance of the value of a
real American merchant marine was
found I'm the Fall Of 1924. There was
a great wheat crop. The country was
faced with an exportabie surplus Of
50.000.000 bushels. No immediate
market was in sight. The surplus
threatened to demoraliZe the domestic
market and TO force the price of wheat
to less than a dollar a bushel. There
came a sudden demand from the for
eign market. This demand had to be
met promptly. No carriers were
available for the wheat-that is, no
regular carriers under either the
American flag or any foreign flag.
To meet the emergency the Shipping
Board outfitted and put into commits.
sion fleet of Goyernment.owned
ships. They were sent to the Cult
ports in September and October and
successfully broke the tie-up, thereby
aiding the American farmers and the
people abroad who needed the wheat
In America the tendency has al
ways been. and properly so, to have
business conducted by private individ'
uals and private companies rather
than by the Government. IL the ship
ping business can be placed entirely
in priyate hands, so much the better
But IL it cannot-and under present
conditions it does not appear that II
can--then surely the Government will
not he SO shortsighted as to take away
its backing from the merchant fleet
which now carries considerable por'
ton Of American overseas commerce,
1t is estimated that about 80 per cen,
of Americas foreign trade is carried
in American flag ships. tncluding
those noy privately owned and Op'
Grated. But the aim Of the Shipping