The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1939-11-30

or the flags of the three scandina.
Wan countries.
They operated them under other
flags because II was cheaper to do
it that way. The present system Of
encouraging shipping, of course,
with what virtually amounts TO fed
eral guarantees, makes the notion
of transferring ships flying the
United States flag to other registries
just little cockeyed But the pres
ent system did not contemplate a
war. Most of all it did not con
template a United States law which
would forbid ships flying the Amer
lean flag to take part in the highest
paying commerce in the world-that
of carrying supplies to the belliger
ents.
Viii Leave Plenty of Trade
For United States Vessels
Actually, of course, ships of other
nations will be drawn TO that com
merce by the incentive of profit
insurance at high rates covering the
risk and being paid for by the Gus
tomers-which will soon leave plen-
ty of ocean-carrying trade for the
American ships. United States
ships, in short, will do the least
profitable business, taking the
places of ships of other nations at
tracted to the more profitable trade.
That is all right with congress.
Had there been vote on that SIM
pie proposition alone, uneneumbered
by the arms embargo repeal, the
vote for it would have been ten to
one. But it is little tough on the
men who were trying to build up
an American merchant marine.
But what the President really was
interested in was not to provide car
goes for United States ships, but to
insure a steady flow across the At
lantic of American-made planes,
tools, munitions and supplies of all
sorts, from cotton to guns.
As matter of fact he would have
greatly preferred to have congress
60 back TO international law, and
took the "cash and carry" provi-
sions only because he had to in or
der to get the arms embargo re-
pealed.
Right now new plan for steady
flow of war supplies is being worked
out. What it will be nobody knows
as this is written but it will be
done. The administration is re-
sourceful. Remember how the AAA
changed into soil conservation
project after the Supreme court de-
clsion? The advisers capable of
solving that legal knot are not going
to be stumped by the failure of the
plan to hoist the flag of Panama on
the United States Lines boats.
Garner Real Candidate for
Presidential Nomination
It has been long time since there
has been any real doubt that John
Nance Garner would be a real cam
didate for the Democratic presiden-
tial nomination at the national con-
vention next June, and in some of
the primaries to be held in the
spring. Yet so little had been heard
about his candidacy for the period
the extra session of con-
gress, and the hectic war news
which preceded it that some had
assumed the Garner candidacy had
died a natural death.
Garner has two tremendous ele-
ments of strength-will have three
Il President Roosevelt gives him his
blessing instead of fighting to NOM
mate himself or some one more
openly New Deal in economics and
associations. First, Garner has,
for reasons which can be assumed
since there is little doubt of the
accuracy of the general statement,
very wide public confidence.
The second element of strength
possessed by Garner is the friend
ship and confidence of most of the
Democratic politicians. This was
never better demonstrated than in
the house of representatives in the
neutrality fight in the special session
of congress. Garner virtually took
over the direction of that fight, and
by his personal influence turned
what might have been a very bad
situation from the administration
standpoint into real victory.
Garner Sensed Situation
And Went to Fork Himself
Garner sensed that situation even
before the neWspaperSfnen began to
count noses-to add polls of this
delegation to hose OF ttfrat=and find
out that the vote was apt to be dam
gerously close. Realizing the dan
ger. Garner wired Sam Ravh,,rp