Evening star., 1933-01-28
A Sound Policy.

The Congress Of the United States
laid down a sound policy in the mer-
chant marine act of 1920. It declared
that:
1t is necessary for the national de-
fense and for the proper growth OF
its foreign and domestic commerce that
Ene United States shall have q mer-
chant marine Of the best equipped and
most suitable 4ypes of vessels sufncient
to carry the greater portion OF Its COM
inerce and serve as q naval or mill
tary auxiliary in time of war or ma
tional emergency, ultimately to be
owned and operated privately by citi-
zens of the United States; and 1t IS
hereby declared to be the policy OF the
United States to do whatever may be
necessary to develop and encourage the
maintenance of such a merchant
marine.
In pursuance Of this policy, which
was reafirmed in the merchant marine
act Of 1928, the Congress has appro-
priated annually for the carrying of the
foreign mails by steamships sums not
designed to pay the mere cost Of such
transportation, but sums calculated to
aid in the establishment and mainte-
nance of steamship lines flying the
American flag on the seven seas. It
has made loans at advantageous rates
of interest to American shipping COM
panies.
What has happened in consequence?
America has merchant marine that Is
constantly developing. with new vessels
of type capable of being used as auxil-
iaries Of the Navy in time Of war, ves-
sells which can render in time Of peace
such service as to gain for them the
carrying trade not only Of this country,
but of others.
Annually, however, attacks are made
upon the Governments announced pol
icy of building an adequate merchant
marine. They materialize when the ap-
preparation bills come up for consider
alton in the Congress. And such fight
has recently been waged in the House
and for several days has been in prog
ress in the Senate. Those who believe
In the development Of the merchant ma
rine prevailed in the House. They
should prevail in the Senate.
The opponents Of these mail contracts
which they dub subsidies s"-are no
friends Of American national defense or
of American foreign commerce, although
they would be Mortified at the sugses-
ton that they did not believe in either.
They are playing into the hands Of the
foreign maritime nations which are
competitors of the American merchant
marine for the carrying trade. How
merchant vessels Of the United States
off the seas before the World War? BY
the granting of subsidies to their own
vessels; by the payment Of low wages
to the seamen. The laws of the United
States compel better treatment Of the
crews of the American flag vessels;
they compel the employment of GER
tain percentage Of Americans on the
vessels, and thereby force higher wages.
And now, in the name of economy it
Is proposed to break down the policy
and the methods adopted by the Con-
gress to build up the American mer-
chant marine. Can there be the
slightest doubt that this is good news
to the foreign shipping companies?
When Congress announced its policy
toward merchant shipping in 1920 it
had recently had a severe lesson.
During the World War, when the
country found itself without an over
seas merchant marine, the stupendous
sum of nearly $3,00O,OOO,O0O was ex-
pended to put fleet of merchant
vessels on the water. Millions we're
wasted in experimenting with wooden
ships and concrete vessels, in the effort
to build quickly fleet that could carry
American soldiers and supplies abroad.
American commerce suffered grievously
at the outset of the World War be-
cause of lack of shipping The carriers
needed for the business of this country
were Withdrawn to the use Of the
belligerent nations. It seems utterly
impossible that any one would have
this Nation return again to the state
IN which 1t was found when the war
broke out in 1914-with no overseas
merchant marine at all. Yet a with
drawal of the Government support as
now proposed would not only prevent
any further expansion of the merchant
marine but would wreck many of the
water carriers under the American nag.