Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-19
Wide Differences Are Aired
On Merchant Marine Problem

A Senate committee report favorine a
replacement policy for the Government
merchant fleet rather than Presiden,
CooidseS program OF 6iSposing OF tns
| vessels to private lines stirs again thr
! long debated national differences over
| thr merchan. marine problem.
| Three possible courses OF action are
! pointed out by the Newark Evening
| News independently. One" saws the
News. It's 10 continue paying n sort oil
Fubsioy b. maintaining a decay.ng
poorly conducted merchant fleet as a
. Government, function at public cos,
Anothc- is 10 let the Government Ship7
go and allow private enterprise 10 meet
| una!ded, perhaps hopeless adversely
largely ;aw"made. A third Is TO expend
| snch aid. directly or indirectly, as will
enable minimum feet of good ships "a
be privately maintained on essential
trade routes. Mr. Coolidge and the
Sh!powners seem 10 lean toward the
las: The Shipping Board and a group
/ IN Congress appear To favor the first
Perhaps at last, the middle one will be
found TO square best with American
principles
There Is no question" IN the opinion
Of the Louisville Courier journal tinde.
pendenD. that Government ownership
and operation OF the merchant feet has
| been hopeless failure" and that paper
recognizes that the question that Ia
bothering the Chief Executive Is how
10 unload on private enterprise. Nat
urally he turns 10 a subsidy--~a sop Ia
| industry--as embodying the idea OF pro-
lection. This" continues the Louisville
| paper. lis the line OF least resistance
! for the Executive. The logical plan
however, Il 10 amend the laws that have
| throttled the privately owned merchan,
marine, the measures that haze made
! the operation OF American ships sc
much more expensive than those ri
| other countries that competition could
be met only In limited cases
That private operation would be
preferable to the present methods oil
the Shipping Board" states the New
| York World independently. needs ne
demonstration, On that point the
! President IL wholly right. but whether 4
subsidy Is necessary or desirable IN an
other question One thing however II
perfectly clear. American capital Is not
going 10 invest heavily IN shipping sc
| long az the prospect of getting "A Sub
s,dy II danglcd before It's eyes, The
more the President or any one else with
Doiiticai influence argues for subsidy
| ihr greater the induccment 10 capital
and enterprise Ia hold back and await
"A nnssihle windtall The very fact that
new shipping ventures were being IN
a,lciiraied without a subsidy would be
used as an argument against granting
one. and promoters. Of course. under
sthnd this thoroughly"
| = Il
| "Mr Coolidge Is emlnentlt sane. con-
redrs the Birmingham News Demo
craiicl, IN seeing that continuance al
| the merchant marine under present
| laws would he costly Apparently he
! is not evidly keen for having the STAR
and stripes flying on The seven seas
he IL said he In not alone In the Conten'
| tion Hut II this Nation aban'
dons It's merchant marine and demo
bilisss rs shipping Beard would II mol
| seem economical also 10 limit the hhNa
| budget proposed exactly Ia the degree
II pfovidrs for cruiser patrola for tlt'
| shipping ianeh2"
The Han Francisco Bulletin iRepub'
liCanl obaervns. Hut whatever actor
Is taken IN regard la ihe hsansn'a ae
or The subsidy. II should be epraitn
IN all that The Jones plan Ia sprn an
other $500 900 900 10 keep the Cavern
ment Ia HE shipping business II Ioolah
moi Ia say frenaled finance
C0naldei.ng The general conditions
aside from The qurhtlnn ~ ownership
The s5an Antonio Ekpresa ,lndependen
Demoefatiel holds that II n unthinh
able thai the United states woiid ALLOW
~ merchant marine Ia he driven from
ths high heas again" 'thai paper aia'
emphasizes The point that since TN
'aar this country has butt fsN craft in
trankoeeaniG trade. but other lands hay,