The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1938-02-17
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By Carter Field ~
FAMOUS WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT
R Carter Field



standard cargo vessels for which
bids were to be opened by the Unit
ed States maritime commission was
in sight when the bids were called
for. None is in sight now. And
there are those who say that unless
the merchant marine act is amend
ed materially there is doubt that
any experienced American operator
will buy the new ships.
The merchant marine act was so
weighted down by safeguards by
suspicious Legislators that some be-
Ieve it is almost unavoidable. At
the time of its passage, June %,
1886, it was openly charged that
the act had purposely been so hob
bled as to make government opera
ton necessary if America is to have
a merchant marine.
Public ownership and operation
advocates occupy key positions with
the commission. They are alleged
to be aggravating the present de-
moralization in the hope of creating
a situation in which public oper-
alton will be the only alternative.
Whether this is true or not, it is
quite apparent that before Ameri-
can operators put up any money
they will have to be convinced that
the commission wants them to sue
coed and will cooperate whole
heartedly In trying to make private
operation successful.
! In this connection 1t is pointed out
that many of the executives now
associated with the American mer-
chant marine have operated ships
under foreign flags. They are IA
miliar with the respective advan-
tages and drawbacks of that form of
operation and will be willing to I'M
dertake it if conditions are not Gre
ated promptly to make operation
under the American flag more toll
cradle.
American operators feel that the
way they were compelled to sign
on the dotted line in the termination
of postal subsidies was bad start
for cooperative effort to establish
a permanent American merchant
marine. Nothing is causing more
apprehension than the labor situa-
ton and the difficulty of maintain
ing proper discipline on shipboard.
Middle Is Growing
+, American shipping men say that
they are anxious to operate under
their own flag but as the muddle
seems to be growing worse instead
of better, they are growing impa-
tent. They point out that all the
present act does is to equalize
construction and operating costs.
They would be just as well off il they
were to place their construction or
ders abroad and operate under a
more ship-minded jurisdiction. They
then would not have to comply with
q multitude of restrictions such as
are imposed by the merchant ma
rine act
Some lines are unable to comply
with the requirements that they have
no interest in lighterage or steve
doring operations. This is essen
tial at some ports, shipping inter-
ests maintain.
While troublesome restrictions
can be escs-1ed by operating under
a foreign flag, American operators
realize that the navy must have
auxiliaries, that this country's COM
merce must be protected at times
when foreign countries have other
uses for their ships, and that ships
under the American flag are a guar
antee against discriminatory action
by foreign governments that hands
caps OUR trade. 1t is for these
reasons, they say, that they have
been waiting thus long in the hope
that the law might be freed of re-
strictions they consider unreason-
able and that a disposition be
shown on the part of the maritime
commission to encourage, rather
than hamstring, private operation.
Ambassador Kennedy
Joseph Patrick Kennedy, the silk
hat New Dealer, whom the Presi-
dent will send to wear knee pants
for the United States at the Court
of ST. James, is one of the most
impressive characters walking the
Washington stage He headed two
powerful commissions, got himself
whispered for President in 1910.
Now he'll negotiate trade tariff
agreement between America and
Great Britain. The pact may bind
the two countries closer together
and make important history.
Mr.. Kennedy is Boston Irish.
about fifty, with Celtic blue eyes,
sandy hair-What's left-expanding
waistline. He's dynamic. He works
himself and his employees to lit
tiers, and they like it.
Mr.. Kennedy's home and his wife
and nine children are in swank
Bronxville, half an hour or SO north
of New York. AT another estate
just out of Warrington he some
times breaks quiet along the
Potomac with rousing parties for a
mixed company Of hot shots and
his hard-worked assistants.
Before the New Deal, Mr.. Ken
raIy bnJ rt,fga ras1n