Evening star., 1934-08-05
And Tonnage Declines.

And Tonnage Declines.
Thus, with all these millions and
. billions, one would consider that the
American merchant marine was in a
favored position. All they had to do in
return for these grants was to operate
ships, replace the old ones when they
wore out. and. gradually, through a
real construction campaign, bring
America to the fore. Did they?
Lloyd's Register. Just published, re-
ports that in the decade l924-1934.
when all these things were transpir-
ing, American ocean-going shipping
tonnage decreased 2,636,000 tons
twice the decline Of British shipping
In the past year alone our decrease
is noted as 3l2.762 tons.
In that same period of time 1924
1880 Norway increased 1,588. 900 tons,
Germany $685. 600 tons, Greece 75o 900
tons and Sweden 5000 tons.
Only in one place does America lead
In tonnage. We actually hold 663 900
tons (54.4 per cent of the worlds to-
tab In seagoing sailing vessels and
barges, the latter having TO be towed.
And this, one may remark, is a rather
doubtful aid to our Navy in time of
war.
There Is still another and a Sadder
aspect to our shipbuilding story-the
age of ships. The figures reveal that
of the tonnage owned in Great Britain
and Ireland l0.6 per cent is less than
five years old-a normal, healthy con-
lra1 90, 10
10 years Of a static merchant ma
rine. Norway does even better with
ass per cent, Denmark with TIA per
cent, Holland with 1873 per cent,
France with LAT per cent, Sweden
with Ill per cent, Spain with 1913
per cent and Japan with 1877 per cent.
Us? Why, with hundreds Of mil
lions we have been pouring into con-
struction loans and mail contract sub
sides only 5.6 per cent of our sh,pS
are less than five years old And this
is, sadly enough, one-half of Britain S
record and one-fifth of her northern
neighbor. Norway.
Some Building Required.
Not that there hasn't been a certain
amount of ship construction under
our mail contract subsidy require
mentS. The contracts plainly state
in many instances, that a number of
ships must be built or reconstructed
during the contract period-at the
discretion Of the Postmaster General
Up to July /, 1888. it is averred that
S6S.037 tons Of new ships have been
built under the merchant marine
acts and that of the $258. .234. SOB Ia
given as subsidies or loaned for con-
struction purposes an approximate
! sl45. .023,07S has been expended for
new construction, with an additional
approximate $lS,7S1,073 for recon-
struction of 90, $40 tons.
And, in the "A contracts now ex-
istent. there are provisions for an ad-
ditional approximate expenditure by
: ship owners Of $5l, ,825, ,050 for new
construction. a further conditional"
like expenditure Of S62.876,l35, and
finally, reconstruction of a tonnage o.
Sli.34o at an approximate cost ol
$21, ,1Sl.659.
But one must bear in mind that
each mail contract is for period OF
10 years. and while the exceedingly
conservative figures of the Post Office
Department give q mail contract tota
of 1912 .6S4 .Se4, only $3.50, ,S55 ,922 i:
required for all types of construction
and reconstruction. Thus the money
for this type Of work can be said 4
have been paid in entirety by thC
Government in subsidies.
And, as Just one more angle, the
total tonnage required to be con-
structed or reconstructed in these lC
years of ocean mail contracts is only
eel ,2SS, about one-third Of the 1885,
900 tons which Lloyds' Register Say'
We lost in the last decade.
Investigations Under Way.
All Of which has a distinctly i'm.
portant bearing on things due K
= happen shortly.
- Four investigations Of our merchan
marine activities simultaneously ar
] under way
The first is that of the Senate com
ssmittee headed by Senator Hugo L
Black of Alabama. and which already
in various hearings. has been pro
= ductive of ALSO pages Of printed teSti
Ynony in which startling revelation
anent high salaries, high commission
unusual financial set-upS. lobbying
management agreements, pipe-lnin
OF profits through or TO SubSidiarie
and other potentially questionable &C
tivitieS have been made.
The second is that of an interde
partmental committee headed b
South Trimble. IT., and which Quiett
is delving into every phase of tn
shipping imhroelio. Both these bodie
have as their avowed purpose the rec