Salt Lake Telegram | 1935-11-19 | Page 9 | S. S. May Take Shipping Fleet

U U. U S 8 MAY MA Y TAKE SHIPPING FLEET NEW V YORK Nov 19 UP Sec UP-Sec- Sec Secretary of Commerce Daniel C C. Roper Roper Ro Ro- Ro- Ro per pcr warned American last night that unless they increase efficiency to permit reduction of subsidies the merchant marine must be taken over b by the government He Ho said the merchant marine has fallen Into decadence that would leave the country helpless in a majar major major ma ma- jor jar war and subsidies from the he federal federal fed fed- eral treasury have done little to correct correct correct cor cor- the condition He spoke at a dinner o of the American Amerlean Amer Amer- Ameri i ican lean merchant marine conference More than 1000 leaders o of the shipping shipping ship ship- shipping II ping Industry attended Let us say here with great frankness frankness frank trank- ness that we are at that critical point in our merchant marine situation situ situ- situation aU on when the industry must support support support sup sup- port an approach of ot this kind i if government ownership and operation operation operation opera opera- tion is to be delayed or prevented he tie said At other sessions Captain John R. R president of or the United Licensed Officers' Officers association denounced denounced denounced de de- de- de charges against officers of the Ward Vard liner Morro Castle destroyed destroyed destroyed de de- de- de by fire tire a year ago with loss of oC Jives as a travesty on jus jus- tice Joseph B. B Weaver director of the bureau of navigation and steamboat steamboat steamboat steam steam- boat inspection s said id sinister In Influences Influences in- in within the merchant marine marine marine ma ma- rine have prevented constructive legislation Official figures recently compiled complied com corn piled plied show that in the event of a major campaign the present day United States nav navy would need merchant ships totaling approxImately approximately gross tons he said Some idea of what this means is obtained from the statement that we have only carriers of oC goods and passengers in the foreign trade of oC approximately gross tons