Evening star., 1937-06-15
NEW! ]. S. FLEET
SEEN BY GUFFEY
Adequate Merchant Marine
Described by Senator
in Forum Talk.

A new and modern fleet of CONNER
cial ships created as result Of the
maritime act, will be sailing the seas
under the American flag within the
next three years. Senator Guffey Of
Pennsylvania predicted last night
He spoke on the National Radio
Forum sponsored by The Star and
broadcast over a Nationwide net
work of the National Broadcasting Co.
II predict that within the next three
years We shall see the American flag
floating over feet of new ships, mod
ern in every respect and providing ade-
Quate protection for passengers and
crew from every peril of the sea-"
Guffey said
"Those are the kind of vessels au-
thorized by the new act. predict that
through their construction the business
men of the Nation will receive new
impetus-that the farmer will have
the facilities required to carry his
grain to foreign markets-that the
worker will experience a pride in hav-
Ing produced vessels comparable with
those of any nation on earth-and that
our people will again feel secure in the
possession of second line of defense,
capable of meeting any contingency
which may face the Nation.
Approve Investment.
II am satisfied the American people
will approve the investment We shall
make in Americas new trade ships" ="
The Pennsylvania reviewed the
history Of the Nations merchant
marine since the World War, its de-
pletion and inadequacy, and measures
taken in recent years to restore it to
a point where it can be of real service
to the Nations commerce. He cited
the Presidents message to Congress
delivered March 4. 1885, referring to
'our necessity for a merchant marine,
not merely to serve the needs of our
commerce, but also as naval auXili-
AIRY, If we became involved in an
other war"
The text of Senator Guffey's speech
follows:
From time to time you have read
In the newspapers, or you have heard
some speakers make the perfunctory
statement: This country must have
an adequate merchant marine"
Just what does that statement mean?
Is it important, and if so, how I'M
portant? Does must" mean some
thing imperative? My answer is my
appearance here tonight
Seventeen years ago, in the mer-
chant marine act of 1920, Congress
declared it to be our national policy
that the United States shall have and
maintain privately owned merchant
marine sufficient to carr the greater
portion of its commerce.
That act was adopted by a Con-
gress that remembered the stagger-
Ing cost to build ships-upward of
three billion dollars we're spent-when
We were confronted with the emer-
gency of war.
Soon after the 1920 act was passed
We had surplus of new ships. Many
people thought we were literally sit
ting on top of the world" SO far as
merchant seapoWer was concerned,
because we had our new emergency
feet, while the other great maritime
nations had lost great many of their
vessels through enemy sinkings, and
the remainder had grown old.
Fleet Was Unbalanced.
But, as we learned later, our new
feet was unbalanced. We had too
many ships Of one type. We had too
many slow cargo vessels and not
enough oil tankers and speedy pas
senger carriers. We had built for
quantity and not to meet trade needs.
Soon after the 1920 act was ap-
proved the worldwide postwar de-
preston set in. Our foreign trade
fell off. Ocean freight rates de-
clined, and to make matters worse,
our American steamship operators
began to meet severe competition from
new and fast foreign-built tonnage.
All Of the maritime nations had
started to rebuild their merchant ma
rines. And they kept on building.
In 1928 it was represented to Con-
gress that owners and operators of
American merchant vessels were at
q great disadvantage in competing
with foreign-owned vessels. This was
so, because it costs less to build
ships In foreign yards and IT costs
less to operate foreign ships.
The foreigners cost is less, because
his wage scales are lower and hours
Of labor are longer and working con-
ditions are less wholesome than those
paid to and worked and enjoyed by
workers in our shipyards and the
crews on American vessels. Besides,
the foreigners ships were new and
ours were growing old.
Congress tried to meet this foreign
competition by passing a new act.
The 1928 act authorized the Post
master General to enter into long
term contracts, for the carriage of
n