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Show MILLIONS FOR SHIPS. The three billion dollar war budget has been completed by the senate and house conferees and there will be no further tinkering with the measure, which undoubtedly will become a law early in the present week. The act carries a provision of $750,000,000 for a merchant marine, and upon the president presi-dent is placed the responsibility for the acquisition of the merchant vessels, although al-though the emergency fleet corporation, headed- by Major General Goethals, and the government shipping board must be used in the work. We have drifted along for a great many years without a merchant marine, being practically dependent upon foreign vessels for the transportation of our products across the oceans. It required a world war to bring us to our senses in this respect, and now we are going to spend vast amounts of money for ships and the great body of the American people are satisfied that the millions will be well spent. We do not know how the ships will be used after the war is over, but it is certain that if private corporations or individuals caunot be found to operate them they will be continued in the ocean-carrying trade by the government and that the American flag will be seen in all the ports of the world. This is one of the results of the war that will redound to our advantage, for in time of peace it has been found impossible impos-sible to get legislation providing for the restoration of our merchant marine through congress. Even while the present pres-ent law has been under consideration there bas been an attempt to consider local interests rather than Ihe welfare of the whole country. But as an adequate ade-quate merchant marine is now assured we can afford to let the matter rest. That we shall need American vessels if we are to engage extensively in foreign for-eign trade is shown by the fact that Japan is acquiring a large fleet of mer- J chantmen and that Great Britain will have many hundreds of such vessels for use when peace is declared. All the smaller nations, Xorway in particular, will be well provided for in this respect. These countries will look out for their own trade first, and we shall undoubtedly undoubt-edly follow their example. Wp notice that there has been a merger of a si-ore ; ! of British steamship com panics under ' the direction of Lord Inchcape, who j will control a fleet of 400 vessels and j property worth $2,000,000,000. It is ' none too soon for the United States to I make preparations for commerce after j the war. . |