Evening star., 1928-12-31
HOOVER EXPECTED
TO URGE STRONG
MERCHANT MARINE:
Development of Better Water
Transportation Between
Americas important.
SOUTH HOLDS LURE
OF WEALTHY MARKETS
Competition of European Countries
Forces United States to Con-
slider Active Program.

Hampton Roads, Va, December 81
One of the most important projects to
which the next administration is ex-
pected to lend strong support is that
of expansion of the United States mer-
chant marine.
The development of better water
transportation facilities is one of three
great lines of communication between
the Americas which received wide dis
cussion during President-elect Herbert
Hoover's Latin American tour.
A second is the opening of air routes.
The thirG is an overland highway run
ming down the Isthmus of Panama,
which has gained so greatly in favor
as virtually to have sent the old plan
of a American railroad into the
discard
Impressed by Marine Needs.
The need for revival of its mer-
chant marine if the United States is to
keep its place in international trade
has been amply demonstrated, if dem
onstration was necessary, in what Mr..
Hoover has seen on this. trip. The
measures passed by Congress last sea-
son are regarded as hardly more than
sufficient to stem deterioration in COM
parison with the actual needs of the
Nations industrial development.
These needs are perhaps more of the
future than of the present As produc-
ton approaches the capacity of domes-
tic consumption it will become neces-
sary for the United States to look else
where for markets Mr.. Hoover indi-
Gated repeatedly before his election that
he regarded the present as the time
to build markets for the future.
That European countries are already
awake to that necessity and are MAX
ing strong bids for the South Ameri-
can market is obvious from even a
casual comparison of the British,
French, German and italian steamship
& services to Rio de Janeiro BuenoS Aires
and other ports with the services from
the United States svr--~y-..
There is one American line of "Presi-
den" type passenger vessels running
each fortnight from New York to the
east coast of South America, requiring
twelve to twenty days for the trip.
Other services require more time.
However, the Germans are operating
such palatial steamships as the Cap
Polario, which passed the Utah several
days ago; the Italians are using the
magnificent "Conte" ships, and the
British are making an equally attrac-
tive showing.
Trade Diverted to Europe.
The ability to travel with greater
comfort and speed to Paris and other
European centers than to New York
is tending to- a fixed diversion of the
South American commercial trade
which the United States may find diff
cult to overcome later in approach
ing what might be expected to be its
natural market. Likewise, only one
American line is operating between New
York an dthe West Coast. The freight
service compares even less favorably.
AS the advocates of stronger mer-
chant marine point out, another ele-
ment besides the advantage of being
first on the ground entering into the
use of American bottoms for American
cargo is the certain amount of inde-
pendence and protection which that
course insures. The lack of traffic at
present to make larger private invest
ment Immediately profitable would seem
to indicate that a more vigorous policy
on the part of the Government is nec-
essary if the United States is to find
foreign markets easily and advantage
ouSly available later.
Ocean transportation, to be sure, is
not the only question of tranSporta-
ton involved in linking the Americas
socially and commercially. Aviation is
becoming a vital factor over which in
ternational competition is likewise aris-
ing.
Railroad Plan Fades.
The third link awaiting development
is the overland route. From discus.
sions among engineers and economist:
during the Latin American trip il
would appear that the old plan of 6
pan-American railroad, which never
got beyond paper, is threatened with
complete discard.
This is due not merely to engineer.
inx and financial difficulties involved
fIt TO the growing use of the auto
Tlobile. Therefore, opinion seems to b'
turning in favor of the inter American
highway rather than a railroad. Th'
available traffic would certainly no
bow. if ever, be sufficient to make Sucl
c. rail line profitable.
On the other hand, highway woulC
be less costly in capital investment anC
upkeep and would probably be o
Ter of short hauls. which are esSentia
10 che growth of the central Soutl
American countries. The great raj
need of South America is not nortl
and south lines but lines running cas-
and west and reaching to undevelopet
interior.
Largely as the result of a visit o
South American engineers to an Ameri
tan road conference in the Unite'
States several years ago, a good road
fever Is beginning to become epideml
in a number of Latin American coun
tries. Brazil, Chile. Uruguay Vene
zuela. Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica an
Salvador have we'll defined highwa
programs. although construction ol
: most of them is just beginning.
Other countries have no programs a
all or are very backward. In Argen
tina. for example, highway building
meeting with strong opposition fror
the railroads. Other elements also en-
ter. such as the lack of undivertibl
government funds and the heavy COS
to large landowners. Nevertheless,
strong agitation for good roads is foun
there
The ideal development of an inter
American transportation system a
which those interested are aiming
the promotion side by side of sea, al
and highway facilities with ships tax
ing care of the slower passenger an
freight traffic. airplanes affording fas
mail, express and passenger servic'
and the highway carrying short hat