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Show HARBINC WRITES MONDELL ON SUBSIDY : ' ' : ' ! SHIPS LOSING i FIFTY MILLIONS j YEARLY, CLAIM President Says Public Will! Favor His Merchant Marine Plan BLOCKS ARGUMENT Question Cannot Be Post- poned, Harding Tells Wyoming Man WASHINGTON. June 21 Confldencc ihai a ' vCry favorable reaction" will, be encountered by members of ron" ries who take the administration's 'ship subsld before their constituents, prior to its consideration by the house. Is xpected by President Harding In a letter to Representative Mondell of Wyoming, 'he Republican leader, giv-; ing formal approval of the plan to; 'press the legislation to a vote lm- j mediately after the tariff bill has been - ni to COnfen nee b the house CANNOT BE I'UM' tixi-.n. Presenting a detailed statement ofl hose fjivorlng the passing of the bill j at this session, the president In his letter, made public today, declared the public interest would not permit of postponement until the December session ses-sion In irlew of the loss entailed by the government's ship holdings Despite "every drive toward economy" econ-omy" this loss the president pointed out, amounted to more than fifty million mil-lion dollars during the fiscal year now closing. ALREADY SUBSIDIZED Asserting the question was "not to be prejudiced by tho old and worn out cry against subsidy. ' Mr Harding; urged that if that was used "to awaken awak-en public hostility.' It be emphasized that "we are subsidizing today oy paving losses of fifty millions a year for Inadequate service of no perman-en. perman-en. e while the pending measure contemplates con-templates no. such outlay." The two outstanding problems to be met. ho said, are the handling of 1 our shipping assets to the highest advantage' advan-tage' and tho establishment of an efficient ef-ficient merchant marine as in agency of commerce and an "Indespensable element of defense." as well. |