Evening star., 1945-10-21
BY Catherine Hamblev

The United States Merchant Marine
today stands at about 81 500 900 dead
weight tons in comparison to 11,500,000
in 1899.
Its a fleet we can't afford to throw
away, or give away-not this time!" eX-
claimed Vice Admiral Emory S. Land,
chairman of the United States Maritime
Commission and administrator of the
War Shipping Administration, recently.
We've spent billions of dollars on it,
and we can't let it go for peanuts-or
let it go to pot in some fresh water
stream" he added. He recalls how dur
ing the First World War the United
States spent $4,000, 100000 on a mer-
chant feet I'VE laid up or scrapped or
sold for song!"
And then we went right back to de-
pending on other peoples vessels" the
admiral continued. The latter situation,
he claims, was the reason the United
States was caught f1at-footed following
1914. At that time foreign ships. carry
ing 80 per cent of world trade, were
withdrawn from shipping lanes, leaving
only a handful of American vessels to
haul war cargo. When World War II
broke out, the United States was better
prepared, as the Merchant Marine Act
of 1886 had already started ship con-
struction.
A Reserve Fleet
However, in order that the United
States may never be found wanting in
time of crisis, Admiral Land estimates
that national defense reserve of about
21,500,000 tons should be maintained,
the bulk of which will be some of the
1888 Liberty ships built since l94l, which
compose about so per cent OF the fleet
Though slow-moving. they have done
satisfactory job of hauling cargo and
are considered ''up-to-scratch. The
cost of such fleet would amount to
from S7,000000 to $4,000, 900 year The
feet itself, consisting of 20000,000 tons,
is priced at about 81 900 900 900 as war
cost and with the exception of fresh
water rust, could be kept in fundamen-
tally good condition.
Approximately 100000 tons have
been assigned to the military and main
ly because of the cost of reconverSion
will remain with the military as auXili-
aries etc. Another 100000 tons will be
scrapped because of being obsolete and
another 100000 tons, or 1000 ships,
will be available to foreign buyers to
make up their war losses. This will
leave l7,000,0 900 tons for United States
operation OF which 1900 900 tons Will be
for foreign trade.
Ships Sale Bill
The 100000 tons for United States
operation are available now and the
10000 900 to be made available to foreign
countries will go on sale. provided the
ship sale bill passes Congress, as soon
as the United Maritime Authority. now
controlling world fleets and routes, is
dissolved by agreement of Is major
maritime powers following a period of
for closing hostilities.
Ships will be sold by one of two meth
DDS, either by regulations of the Bland
ship sale bill or by The Merchant Ma
rine Act of 1886. BY the Bland ship
sale bill, cut-throat competition will be
eliminated by leveling of the price floor
|, so that a ships value will remain the
same. with a discount for depreciation,
over period of time. According to the
Merchant Marine Act prices are allowed
to drop and drop with age. Vessels
under 1000 tons, requisitioned for war
period, are already being returned to
rightful owners or sold to the highest
bidder after advertisement and5 sealed
bids are opened publicly.
The Old Trade Routes
The 100000 tons to be set aside for
foreign trade will be an increase of g.
100000 tons over prewar tonnage for
foreign trade. The question arises as to
whether the drastic increase will give
America a monopoly of world trade.
The answer. according to facts is no"
as the United States would only have
100000 tons of the 75000,0 900 tons of
the world fleets.
Trade routes will be returned to ma
tionS which originally claimed them.
With the exception of enemy shipping,
world trade will largely conform to its
former pattern. Though much has as
yet not been decided or revealed to the