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Show 1C. - so rROTKOTS AMERICAN SHITS flill ' I "A powerful weapon for the maln- 'a,l tenance and porpotuatlon of the Am- 'I erfftin merchant marine on an ado- re-l quale scale," Ii the characterisation 1,l by the Atlantic Coast Shipbuilder! H association of Sec. 34, of the Mcr- "B4 chant Marine aet, which roqulros the termination of those portions of commercial treaties with' foreign nations na-tions restricting the right of the United States to Isspose preferential tonnago due in faror of American Yessels. The association points out that the abrogation! of commercial treaties is nt necessary, but merely modification of some of their terms,, and that the provisions of tho Underwood Un-derwood tariff act of 1013 Imposing a 10 per cent duty and Valorem on nil Imports In vessels not of U. S. registry and olhcr discriminations in favor of American shipping will be brought Into effect. The association declares that while tho treaty terms havo prohibited, discriminations in duty and tonnage only, foreign governments for almost al-most a century have taken advantage advan-tage of this limited restriction to devise and successfully cmrloy other oth-er discriminatory methods against ships flying tho American flag. Pow-erlcss Pow-erlcss to rctatlale our merchant marine was shorn of Its compotltlvo strength and dwindled to a mero shadow of Its greatness of tho period per-iod preceding tho crippling treaties. Through tho use of reserved right of determination specified In Its commercial agreements the U. S. now proposes to modify the treaties whleh restrict its shipping. There is ao dteputo aa to tho moral and legal right to withdraw from theso treaties. Many other nations have hitherto exercised that right without any protest from the U. 3. This country has now determined by leg- llatlve action to modify It treaties In order that our merahant marlno may be assured of a future seeurcd by its rightful placo on the seas. |