Evening star., 1933-02-18
When an Ok Is Gored.

When an Ok Is G0red.
On various occasions in recent times
British shipping magnates have taken
filings at the American practice, rela-
lively obsolete since the World War,
of subsidizing shipbuilding and accused
the United States of principal respon-
sibility for glutting the seas with sur
plus merchant tonnage. The other day
in London, by way of adding insult to
injury, Mr.. Walter Runciman, presi-
dent of the Board of Trade-the
British ministry of commerce-de-
livered a gibe at the American mer-
chant marine by suggesting that al
though it is three times as large as
it was in 1913, two-thirds of the ships
are unfit for trade" None of Mr..
Runcimans statements completely CO.
incides with the facts.
1t is everybody's secret that our Brit
ish cousins are constitutionally unable
to generate enthusiasm over the pros
pect that the United States some day
might construct and maintain mer-
camille marine worthy of its wealth and
commercial requirements. Long accus-
toned to being the truckman of the
seas, as well as 'the shopkeeper of the
world" John Bull looks askance at
Uncle Sans effort to become trans
oceanic carrier on the British scale.
Even today, despite our prodigious ship
building effort during the war, America
is carrying only one-third Of its foreign
trade in American-flag ships. Great
Britain carries sixty per cent of her
own foreign trade in British Empire
flag ships and is still transporting
forty-flve per cent of the total foreign
trade Of the entire world.
British tonnage in vessels of two
thousand gross tons and over as of
September 80, 1882, totaled 1873, ,682,
whereas total American tonnage at the
same date was 8,211 ,942 of ships in the
same category. But American vessels
in regular service on foreign and non
contiguous trade routes amount only
to 3,490,60 tons. the large balance of
the total being engaged in coastwise
and contiguous trade. Thus something
less than 3,500,00o tons are left as the
American competitive feet in interna-
tional commerce properly so called.
Lamenting the plight of world ship
ping and charging it to the existence Of
overbuilt and now unemployed tonnage,
Mr.. Runciman believes that much of
the misfortune which has befallen the
cargo fleets of the world can be laid
at the feet of those nations which went
the farthest and have thereby done the
most harm" He follows this thrust at
the United States by asking How can
these nations continue subsidies on the
present scale?"
In a recent address before the Sixth
Annual Conference on the Merchant
Marine at the Chamber of Commerce
of the United States the Rev. Edmund
A. Walsh, regent of the School of For
eign Service at Georgetown University,
divulged some striking figures. From
1922 to the present day, he said, the
total number Of ships built by Great
Britain, France, Italy, Japan and Ger
many reached 2,100 vessels, aggregating
100000 tons. Americas contribution
to that alleged surplus was 96 ships
aggregating only $4,000 tons. On a
parity basis, we might Justly have built
over 100000 tons.
The British minister of commerce
might not improperly have reminded
the London Chamber of Shipping that,
at Britain's definite and specific behest,
this country's principal contribution to
the World War, in the months before
Americas military effort attained its
mighty momentum, was ships. "Ships,
ships and more ships!" was the agonized
cry of Mr. Lloyd George in answer to
Washington's request for information as
to the most effective form in which
American aid to the allied cause might
Immediately be made. Surely, the
bridge Of ships" built in response to
that appeal has not faded from Brit
ish memory.
For a variety of reasons the United
States record in establishing merchant
marine commensurate with its possibil-
tiles is not brilliant one. In more re-
cent years this country has been con-
tent to see the Atlantic dotted with such
vessels as the Europa and the Bremen,
the Rex and, soon, the Normandie, with
only an occasional Manhattan and q
Leviathan, which no longer has youth
in its favor. But the ambition and
the determination of the American peo-
pie one day to possess the kind of a
merchant feet to which they are en-
titled are enduring. Gibes from foreign
rivals will whet rather than damper
that desire.