THE SHIPPING GLUT

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 129, 3 June 1933, Page 13

THE SHIPPING GLUT

A DEFENCE OF AMERICA i - . ■ ■■■ ■ BRITAIN'S BIG TONNAGE The'expansion of the American merchant fleet in the last fifteen years has been unduly blamed for tho general upset of world shipping, according to Admiral Hutch I. Cone, newly chairman of tho United States Shipping Board. Tho arguments of American legislators Opposing Government aid to ship lines reflect this, attitude, ho said, and the shipping men of foreign nations, competing with American'linos, have added their voices to the complaint, re ports tho "New York Times.*".' !Admiral Cone said that the present ills of shipping, which includo the enforced laying-up of ' thorisanda of tons of all nations, "aro not even remotely due to luniune dovelopment in. the United States.',' Blither, they havo been brought, about by the. unprecedented decline in international trado and the failure of. other maritime n;i'< tions to scrap obsolescent tonnage. He denied that tho United States had built beyond her needs and claimed for her ship lines a^ more, ambitious programme of scrapping than that of any of her rivals. - "Tho records show," he said, "that, during, the past ten years Groat Britain,' Franco, Italy, Japan, Germany, and the j United States have built 2100 ocean-j going ships each of 200Q gross tons or over, totalling 14,000,000 gross, tons To this formidable number our own modest contribution: has been less than 100 ships of about 850,000. gross tons. Great Britain'heads the list'with' nearly J 1400 ships of 8,500,000 tons, outranking us in number of ships by 14 to one and in tonnage by 10 to one.' "In the same period the United States has led tho world in breaking up. cargo nhi[ps or semi-obsolete types 'while the total American >flag tonnage removed from registry during the past six months alone surpasses the scrapping--activities- of all other nation's combined.. WHERE IT EXISTS. "Tho real shipping surplus exists in those countries Which- have built up their commercial fleets to a point in excess of their own1 requirements. 11l order that this surplus tonnage may bo profitably employed it is sent into trades properly belonging to other na^ tions. And when; as in tho case of the United States, the nation, whose .trade is thus invaded comes to tile aid of its. shipping to the extent of lowering competition handicaps, every conceivable argument, regardless of logic or cogency, is brought t6 boar in an endeavour to cloud the issue." Admiral Coho suggested that foreign nations, .competitors tof the. United States in., .international' trade, follow the example of the United States and scrap their obsolete ships as an aid to world, recovery, and that American legislators cease ' their, "disquieting" efforts -to discourage Government aid to merchant ship lines. , , "Ono is tempted to believe, V he said, "that Americans who seek, to do away with tho present subventions fail to realise the magnitude of -the work already accomplished, y the great, final stake involved and thoV>byious fact-that the nation's futiiru welfare depends in great measure on its commercial strength at soft." • ' • Although Admiral Cone's tenure as chairman »f the Shipping, Board is uu- \ certain,, owing to tho .Government's plan to reorganise control of transports- j tioii facilities, ho is reSdy, ho said, to carry on the post-war development of i the merchant marine as long as. ho is retained in office. Ho was tho only member of the Shipping Board retained .When the Roosevelt administration an : liotiiiced a reorganisation recently, and gave him the place hold by T. V. O'Connor. .