Show i Let us havo have faith that right makes m might and andin andin i in that tt faith let us to the end dare we to do our duty as we understand it it Lincoln Our Merchant Marine of an America America- first policy for forthe E IJ the development dc of the time American merchant marine j provided in a bill drafted by the S Senate commerce Subcommittee s recently reported by Chairman Jones of Washington The Tho bill lill provides that coastwise shipping must be bc Entirely American owned while 75 per cent of the stock f corporations engaged ged in ill foreign trade must bo ho held by American citizens citizens' Sale of American ships to for- for eign ign interests would be prohibited by the bill without the approval al of the tile shipping board The bill would prohibit the interstate commerce commission from cx- cx existing authority to grant preferential rail rail- nd water nd water freight rates unless American owned vessels verc u used d. d Upon the them shipping boards board's recommendation a- a Atti tion n where American owned ocean transportation ati ti s are inadequate the commission would be authorized authorized author author- i i M d however Ilo to suspend this section The c bill km would ouId 0 4 place the time present owned government f. f J fleet under the direction of the shipping board which would be authorized to operate tho the ships Wilder charter or otherwise and develop the tho foreign trade of this country through the cs establishment of f new tra trade e routes by means of private enterprise if possible possible pos pos- sible or through government operation if necessary This policy is in line ine with the best American trad Hons The people ot of the United States want a merchant merchant mer- mer chant marine They want the ships that were constructed con con- durin during the tile war to remain in American owner ower- ship They are arc not impressed with the desirability of ot government operation as ns they had a a. forcible object lesson les Ics Ics- son n in the thc inefficiency of that experiment c in iii govern govern- ment meat control of rl railways But with the end in view that ultimately the tha merc merchant t marine will be owned and operated op op- op- op by private American citizens the shipping board will be authorized temporarily to operate a n. portion of Thc he unsold ships meantime doing what may be sary to accomplish to ownership I The war has given us an American merchant marine four times Limes greater than we e had in 1914 In J June unc 1914 we had a gross tonnage of 02 tons In June unc i 1919 our gross tonnage was f tons an increase o of gross tons or per cent It is the thc greatest greatest great great- est cst in the world orld with the exception of the Unit United d Kingdom Kingdom King King- dom whose gross tonnage June 1919 was ions We Ve not only have bave this great merchant marine S bl but t we wc have e the shipyards in which it can enn be m main main- in- in tamed tabled and expanded The be policy outlined by the bill to safeguard the merchant marino marine and assure the successful successful success- success ful future of or American shipping it is believed will meet A American public approval al I |