Evening star., 1927-11-03
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

A Tennessee manufacturer of woolen
goods who has been president of the
Association Of Manufacturers for six
years denounces the United States
Shipping Board for not having sold
all aforementioned ships. Presi
dent Edgerton speaks as one having
authority-perhaps of the Association
OF anufacturers-when he declares
with venemence:
One Of the first things it (the Gov
ernment should be forced to get out
of is the shipping business, which
already during the past 10 years has
cost the taxpayers 1851 900 900. and
Is operating now at an annual loss
OF over $20,000,000. The
Shipping Board itself, however, is not
TO be condemned considering the fact
that In 10 years It has had 80 mem.
ners with an average individual
tenure OF less than 2 years, that it
mas had ii presidents and has Oh.
Grated under the pestiferous seamen' s
act; 1t has not made bigger failure
than could have been expected"
AS President Edgerton, in the same
speech, alleged that the United States
has little to boast of. as long as we
stand out as the most lawless Nation
the world has ever known" 1t ia not
out OF his tone to discover his superla.
tives in connection with the Shipping
Board and it's failure"
He neglects to explain that the
deficit Of 1851 ,000, 900 includes the
waste" due to the war unprepared.
ness, caused largely by our not hav.
ing ships to carry troops and supplies
in national defense. The war crisis
required sudden efforts to build ships.
regardless OF cost. hence the extrava.
CANT capital charges. The last two
administrations (now chiefly under
MIR. Edgerton's criticism) had nothing
to do with the war administration, but
that Is not cited by the critic.
lie declares the Government-owned
ships are operating now at an annual
loss OF over $4,000. .000," but the Shin.
ping Boards official report shows that
the annual deficit now Is less than
$13,000,O0o. Possibly the $40. 900. 900
may be the average, inclusive of war
years. Furthermore, the recent vote
or four to three" members Of the
shipping Board upon the proposition
IN connection with the sale of the re-
manning three lines in the Pacific
ocean, that would require the pur-
chasers to bond themselves to operate
the lines for 10 years, instead OF S
years, which has been the requirement
In all previous sales, is carried by the
action or the member who was presi.
dent OF the board in its wartime ex-
perience and whose faith lies in per-
manent Government-ownership rather
than In carrying out the edict of the
present law requiring the early sale
Of all ships, to the end that the Gov.
ernment shall get out of business.
The law provides. not primarily for
the immediate sale Of all ships, re.
gardless of conditions, but it's 'pri.
mary end" is to develop and encour-
age the maintenance of a merchant
marine" and it stipulates that it IL
necessary for the national defense and
fo-' the proper growth of it's foreign
and domestic commerce that the
United States shall have a merchant
marine of the best equipped and most
suitable types of vessels sufficient to
carry the greater portion of its COM
merce and serve as q naval or mill
tary auxiliary in time Of war or ma
tionai emergency"
The law, section /, says:
"And it is hereby declared to be the
policy of the United States to do what
ever may be necessary to develop and
encourage maintenance of such q mer-
chant marine, and, in so far as may
provisions of this act. the United
States Shipping Board shall. in the dis.
position of vessels and property here.
matter provided, in the making of
rules and regulations. and in the ad-
ministration of the shipping laws,
keep always In view this purpose and
object az the primary end to be OBJ
tained"-vlz., to maintain q permanent
marine.
The contention Of the Tennessee