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Show The Need For Ships Chairman Joseph P. Kennedy of he Maritime Commission is of the -pinion that American ship lines must have subsidies cf around $25,000,000 a year if they are to survive. High building and operating operat-ing costs, as compared with those of other countries, are the reasons given for the necessity for governmental govern-mental support of the merchant marine. There are people in Sanpete valley val-ley who have not the slightest idea of the importance of a mercantile fleet. They do not understand that the United States normally sells ten per cent of its movable goods in foreign countries and that under un-der the Reciprocal Trade Treaty P-cg.am, cur foreign commerce is moving upward. This year, the wcrld will pay something like three billion dollars for American goods. To maintain that comaierce and assure its increase in a competitive wo. Id, Mr. Kennedy wants Aaaeri-an Aaaeri-an ships modernized and subsid-'ized subsid-'ized so that they can maintain wenty-three world trade routes. Ine advantages of an adequate merchant marine in times of peace are to be found in the standard .. riving of our' people. Lost export matkets are soon reflected in nugc agricultural and industrial surpluses surplus-es in this coun ry, idle manufac- I turing plants, une-r,p..y,rent au. decreased incomes for individuals i .vhic.i .r.,oan lower standards of living for our people. Another art, j.ment for the construction con-struction and maintenance of a merchant marine rests upon the emergencies caused by war. In 1914, American t.ado suffered severe se-vere losses when warring nations Withdrew their ships from commercial com-mercial routes. Today, our ships carry about one-third of our exports, ex-ports, and, in the event cf a war, our foreign commerce woulo inev-! itably uLe. . In addition, if this count. y itself engages in Aar, it .vill need troop and supply ships j-hich cannot be built over night. While it w.ll cost the taxpayers of the nat:on an estimated $35,000,-)00 $35,000,-)00 a year ;o support the program designed by Mr. Kennedy and his associates, the sum is trifling when rcTfi ed to the sum sustained 1 this country during the World War. In 1917, when war need:; were greatest and losses from U-boats U-boats severe, the Government opened open-ed 162 shipyards and o.dered the construction cf 3.270 new ships. The sudden end of the war left us Mth about 2,000 ships, at a cost o c'rse to three billion dollars. After the war needs were met and our soldiers were home, an effort Was Tiide to use the ships in ordinary trade but in the first year the' experience ex-perience cost fifty million dollars. Thereupon, the ships were sold at g.eat loss to private operators who i received subsidies to cary mail or build new ships. This effort re-i re-i suited in a major scandal and little practical accomplishments in so far as the permanent establishment establish-ment of a merchant marine. |