The Daily Alaska empire., 1947-10-16
Stop Scuttling Our Fleets,
Seattle Post -Intelligancer)


 American shipping interests greatly justifiaby concerned regarding recent proposals that large pro- portion of warbut cargo vessels be turned over to foreign countries.
 One suggestion is that 75 Liberty ships be lent to Germany for overseas transportation, by German crews relief goods which this country is donating to Europe.
 The argument is made that this would save sev- eral million dollars in freight charges and it un- doubtedly would since the wages paid to American seamen than twice as great as those of the next highest competing country.
 It would also put a large number of our own sailors "on the beach," which is nautical for being out of job
 The National Federation of American Shipping rightly fears that ships lent" by would never be returned to us.
 It calls attention to the facts that our govern ment lent" 95 ships to Soviet Russia deliver Am ercan lend-lease goods during the recent hos tilities that State Department now unable only get the ships restored but get the Soviet government to di5cuss the matter.
 Russia has simply confiscated the bottoms that generously provided to help avert Nazi conquest of Russia.
 The shipping federation is quite sound in suspect ing that other countries would follow the Russian precedent
 And other countries besides Germany are in- volved, since it is also being proposed to give sur plus tonnage to them, to sell it to them cheaply so that they get back the
 There is a two-fold danger to the United States in this altruistic sounding but misguided idea.
 Today our postwar maritime commerce is rapidly diminishing.
 Foreign shipyards are turning out cargo vessels at such rate that, within a matter of months foreign fleets will equal their capacity in 1889 when they were hauling than TO per cent of our total exports and imports.
 But loss of business is not the most serious evil that incur by consistently making ourselves land locked hermit nation.
 Our security is mperled because inadequate merchant marine means that we cannot have an ade- quare national defense.
 sufficient merchant marine is indispensable auxiliary to the Navy; and our deficiency in this respect has twice cost enormous sums.
 Tn two world wars' the shipping federation counts I've have created the greatest armadas of chant ships in history.
 Tn order to assist our military forces and to furnish the necessary transport for personnel and supplies in World War I, it necessary to sruct 2300 vessels at aggregate cost of billion dollars.
 We did rot, however, take advantage of the lesson should have learned
 Tn World War II it was again necessary to startle the world by building first the shipyards then $500 vessels of 57 million tons at an aggregate cost of IA billion dollars.
 Against such record, it would be false and dangerous economy to turn over to former enemies any of war-built vessels t "The United States cannot maintain its position as leader in world affairs if it is weak upon the seas; lacking American transportation lines to jm- portant world areas and incapable of supporting it's military forces in emergency
 Surely Congress will not permit the bureaucrats to distribute American ships to governments which by which these ships might conceivably be used against us"