Evening star., 1933-09-24

being boarded And the United States
had no ships of her own to 60 out upon
their lawful occasions as neutrals to the
war! Or, rather, she had them-for she
had paid for their building and was
making money out of their operation
but they we're under alien flags and
registry Many were Norwegian, but
most of them were British; and Britain
proceeded to exercise her legal right to
take over the ships flying her flag and
officered by her nationals.
DRESIDENT WILSON'S special order in
1914 permitting foreign-built bot
toms to fly the American flag if Ameri-
can-oWned marked a new departure in
the history of the American merchant
marine With the ships came the for
eign officers and other personnel, the
shore management and the methods
which had carried the lines to financial
success The new policy drove wedge
into the very marrow of the old-Style
sectionalism which had Solidified the
various American ports into semi-po
litical organizations where only a local
boy could get a local command or a
local inspectorship.
The injection of new blood and fresh
views did world of good to the whole
industry It permitted a body of men
with seafaring traditions and a knowl-
edge of international shipping to perme
ate and energize profession which had
largely reached an almost fossil state
owing to lack of competition with
foreign minds.
Some of the machinery in commission
on coastal vessels in 1914 was suitable
only for museums An illuminating
glimpse into the minds of officials of
the Department of Commerce was
afforded by the questions in the exami-
nations of engineers. AS late as 10 years
ago it still was assumed by the steam
boat inspection officials that marine
boilers were fitted with dead-weight
safety valves, and they apparently were
unaware of the existence of either tur
bines or electric drive, or even quadruple-
expansion engines.
The third period in American maritime
development is not so pleasing to recall.
With the cessation of hoStilitieS in Eu-
rope a shipping boom set in, and the de-
mand was so great that practically all
sorts and conditions of men, from piano
tuners to gangSters, were to be found in
American merchant ships. Freights rose
to dizzy heights. Orders from Central
and South America poured in upon
manufacturers of the United States. From
the ships fireman, with his silk shirt
and his 60 cents an hour overtime for
dumping ashes to his employer, who
often knew little of the intricate buSi-
a wonderful time. Owners were almost
bribed to build ships at high cost. Wages
scared. Officers of probity and expert
ence were outvoted and outnumbered by
a hoard of nondescripts who came from
shipyards and factories to muscle in on
the high wages.
It was a boom. A swollen merchant
marine had been hastily manned by
men without either tradition or profess
sional ethics We had the spectacle of
cargo carried beyond its destination,
cargo pilfered by officers, cargo simply
lost, stolen or sold by the master for his
private gain. We had cargo left behind
in error, and we had Latin American
merchants coming to New York and, hat
in hand, begging for news of their con-
signments.
ND then the boom vanished and left
" the merchant marine stunned.
The great strike, which was to make all
the sailors rich, failed. 1t cost one COM
pany $75O,OOO to break it, but it was