Evening star., 1943-06-15
The Political Mill
Government Must Take Steps to Maintain
Adequate U. S. Merchant Murine After War

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Maritime Commission was Gre
ated, had its ups and downs
but mostly downs. Privately
owned shipping had to compete
with Government -owned ship
ping, as well as with foreign
shipping. There were great
losses for all. Congress declined
to pass a ship-s,lbsidy act in 1922,
but in 1928 it got around to pass
ing mail subventions - indirect
subsidies-for ships in foreign
trade.
This did not work we'll, and in
1886 Congress enacted the pres
ent Merchant Marine Act, grant,
ing outright subsidies and Gre
ating the Maritime Commission.
The commission Immediately un-
dertook the building Of a modern
fleet Of fast ships. This program
has been of great value in the
war effort. But the program has
been expanded and expanded
until now it is tremendous, and
successful.
BY December, 1o41, all seagoing
vessels were being used by the
government in the interests of
national defense and they will
continue to be so used under the
direction of the War Shipping
Administration.
A recent record shows that al
per cent of the cry tonnage mot
tankers) had been allocated to
Army operations. 13 per cent to
Navy operations, 80 per cent to
lease-lend. and 16 per cent to
essential civilian economy.
To Have Largest Fleet.
When the war is over, there
Will have to be a vast realloca-
tion OF shipping to civilian use.
The Government will have the
largest fleet of merchant vessels
IN the world. AS Mr.. Farley
pointed out. the amount of ton
mage under private American or
foreign ownership will be small
IN comparison.
How to deal with the Govern
ment-owned fleet will be the big
gest question. 1t is obvious that
the success of private shipping
Will depend largely on the with
drawal of Government shipping.
For years after the last war, the
Government ships were a reser-
volr from which any company or
individual couN purchase ships
to compete with any other Amer
ican shlpowner. They could be
purchased at small fraction of
their original cost This created
chaos and rate wars. Finally,
Congress passed a law sterilizing
the Government-owned fleet, ex-
cept during a state of national
emergency.
Policy Adoption Urged.
ut is important" Mr.. Farley
said. that the Government
adopt a policy with respect to
its wartime tonnage as soon as
possible; for no private ship
owner can determine the future
course of his business nor plan
the development of his fleet un-
til he knows what the Govern
ment policy will be-"
The Maritime Commission
holds the key to the future of
American shipping. But unless
the Government is to go perma-
nently into the shipping business,
to the exclusion OF private enter
prise, 1t must plan to get the
shipping business into the hands
of private owners and operators.
Admiral Land has made num-
Der Of suggestions with regard
to American policy for the mer-
chant marine. He puts first pri-
vate ownership, operation and
construction. Next, he urges
that we ship American and
travel American; set up proper
routes, adopt tramp shipping. He
would have the Government hold
title to all new ships for the
duration of the war.
1t looks on the surface, how
ever. as If some one will have to
take it on the nose at the close
of the war, so far as shipping is
concerned. BY all means, steps
must be taken to maintain q
great and adequate American
merchant marine.
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