Evening star., 1937-11-11
Aid for Shipping.

The survey Of the American merchant
marine made by John P. Kennedy, chair
man of the United States Maritime
American people two things. The first
is that merchant marine is worth
having. The second is that something
must be done about it. Anything worth
having must be paid for. And that
is just what Mr.. Kennedy's survey
indicates. In his own words the Amer
ican merchant marine is a very sick
Industry"
The merchant marine of this country
the overseas merchant marine, particu-
larly-is so hedged around with laws
which increase the cost of operation
and of construction of ships that it
needs help if it is to meet in compe-
tition the ships Of other maritime ma
tions. The laws which have been passed
for the benefit of seamen are salutary.
The laws which have been passed to
protect the shipbuilding industry have
been considered wise. The sum total,
however. of all these laws has been
to make the industry hothouse
affair. hampered in every way to meet
the lower costs of operation of other
nations-particularly when the merchant
ships of the other nations have govern
ment aid.
The survey now completed by the
Maritime Commission is the most ex-
| haustive ever undertaken. 1t should have
| its weight with Congress 1t is unfortunate
that such survey was not made long ago.
Mr. Kennedy and his colleagues have
gone into the situation exhaustively.
| Their recommendations are for material
| amendment of the 1886 Merchant
Marine Act-under which the commits
| sion was set up and which was sup
| posed to be the last word.
The country's ideas of subsidy" have
moved on since the days of the late
President Harding. Mr. Harding, seek
| ing to save the merchant marine, which
had been hurriedly thrown together at
enormous cost during the World War
cost to the American people-endeavored
to have ship subsidy bill enacted into
law. The word subsidy" was enough
to kill it. Unthinking "progressives" of
those days, however, were able to
strange the measure. 1t died. Various
| substitutes have been tried, including
/ att@cr rfx
by which the Government sought by
indirection to do what Congress had
turned its back upon.
1t remained for President Roosevelt,
who has a real interest in both the
merchant marine and the Navy, to tear
away the shreds of hypocrisy. The
President boldly declared himself for
direct subsidy. With the existing
subsidies to farmers and to many other
groups in this country today it seems
| silly to balk at subsidy for merchant
vessels. First, the merchant marine
Is an important arm Of the national
defense. If any one doubts that, let him
think back to the days before this
country entered the World War and the
days Of the war itself. Before we Joined
in the war American commerce was
at the mercy OF the belligerent nations;
at their mercy because there we're no
ships to carry American commerce. Dur
ing war the merchant marine is not
only an essential auxiliary of the Navy,
but is also needed to carry war sup
plies and to transport troops
Mr.. Kennedy has. apparently, told
the whole story and told it well, In
his report TO Congress. It is UP to
Congress to determine what shall be
done about 1t. For a nation that once
was shipminded and whose ships car
ried the country's commerce ever all
the seven seas, and the commerce OF
other nations as well. 1t should not
be impossible to revert to type; There
are various methods Of building a
strong merchant marine. One looks to