Evening star., 1946-09-15

tional sea trade, the United States
Maritime Commission has made rnven-
tory of the Nations ship tonnage and
drawn up new creed designed to main
tain our war-born merchant supremacy
of the seas.
In special report the commission has
concluded that some 400 modern, fast
passenger and cargo ships is the mini
mum number which will be required to
ply our 80 main transocean trade routes
obviously the answer to the prob
lem,' the report says, "lies not in having
55,000,000 deadweight tons of War-built
cargo ships but the service we provide
with a specialized portion of them.
THE Maritime Commission itself
aims at fast safe, efficient cargo and
passenger feet with sailings spaced and
integrated and stops at more than 300
foreign and domestic ports scheduled
to coincide with maximum cargo lift
and minimum of Government aid allow
able on essential routes. A minimum
sized feet also is sought"
At the same time the commission
has found little consolation in the de-
struction of the German and japanese,
and to some extent Italian, merchant
fleets.
Axis Vacuum" Filled.
The vacuum. created by the loss OF
some 1900 Axis ships is already being
filled, the report says, by British, Scan
uia oYS yIhi
tions of maritime 'resurgence" are evi-
dent in France, China, Brazil, Argen-
tina and Spain.
THE Soviet Union" the report con-
tinues, hitherto regarded as a land
power, will probably maintain a larger
fleet-perhaps much larger fleet-than
she had before"
The British, who have historically
fought with us along sea trade routes,
are giving out nothing concrete as to
postwar merchant shipping plans, but
the commission reports that preliminary
conversations with British governmental
spokesmen have brought forth the blunt
assertion that that nation desires to re-
gain its prewar position in international
shipping ''at least"
Shipyards in England. in spite of war
damage. are once more ringing with the
sound of the riveters air hammer. Even
such smaller countries as Poland,
Switzerland, Fire, the Philippines and
Palestine have plans for a peacetime
merchant marine.
Won't Crowd Routes.
At the same time the commission dis
claims any intention on the part of
this country of wanting to crowd any
one route with American ships, and
suggests that nations confer among
themselves on some kind of limitation.
"'The nations should come to some
agreement" it asserts, 'if possible, on
minimum wages and working condi-
tions for seamen also on manning
schedules and crew quarters sub
sides should be brought into the open
and dissected. If other countries are
willing to grant our necessity for
merchant marine they cannot legiti-
mately object to measures required for
the maintenance Of that merchant ma
rine."
The report finds that the 80 trade
routes which girdle the globe, are ''es-
sential" to connecting American indus
try with foreign markets and sources of
raw materials, but that it will require
continual attention to see that the right
number of ships, depending on seasons
oyal rkotS oil tad tn rtip
routes.
Reviewing our past shipping history,
the report states:
"On trade route l, linking our East
America, we carried only one-quarter
OF the exports and imports in 1898,
poor showing for a route lying entirely
in the Western Hemisphere.
u. S. Part Small.
'On trade route IL Ito the Philippines,
China and Far Eastern ports more
than million tons of automobiles, ma
chinery and other high-revenue freight
were shipped from the Atlantic sea-
board to ports halfway around the
world in 1888. Only per cent moved
in American vessels.
"Eighty-flve per cent of the rubber,
tin, palm, oil, tea and spices we imported
from Java, Sumatra and the Straits
Settlements were delivered in foreign
vessels in 1898. Half the raw materials
purchased by Americans from the
Philippines were shipped to the Atlantic
Seaboard in Japanese vessels in the
same year. Five fast freighters flying
the Rising Sun steamed in and out of
our ports for each American ship.
1--WE were also outclassed in the At
lantic. Trade routes connecting our
North Atlantic ports with British and
continental European ports bore traffic
aggregating well over 100000 tons in
1888. Only about one-fourth moved
in American bottoms"
The slump in our shipping did not
Immediately follow the First World War.
In 1921 our own ships were carrying
about half of our foreign trade. But
by 1889 we carried only % per cent.
Seeks Standardized Routes.
The commission believes that a
Standardization of routes, with ship
owners working in close contact with
the Maritime Commission, is the only
answer to avoid this countrys once
more losing its place in the shipping
sun.
Route by route, the commission has
taken up in the report both what it