AMERICAN SHIPPING INDUSTRY

Evening Star, Issue 25425, 5 March 1945, Page 7

AMERICAN SHIPPING INDUSTRY

SOUND INTERNATIONAL POLICY '(British Oflicia; Waeless.) RUGBY, March 2. The United States House of Representatives Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, which is considering a'Bill to provide, fur the ,sale of certain Government-owned vessels, heard the United States State Depart--nient's views on tho need tor a sound international shipping policy rather than a •'' resti-K'tivcK- nationalistic" one. writes a Washiriitou correspon-

dent. . ~ i In a letter dated March 1. addressed to the chairman of tha commitros 1 , Mr Joseph Grew (United Sr.:.tt-s UnderSecretary of State) stated that the most significant interests of the American shipping industry would not be found in " the limited temporary advantages which 'might be gained in the immediate pb.-;twar period, - ' out rather in " a long-run development of sound economic policies in the nat-ouui and international shipping field." Emnhasising that the State Department believed that the requirement :n the Bill for competitive bidding in respect of some of the vessels, othet than Liberty vessels, to a foreign purchaser should be eliminated, the letter went on: "The department believes it would be desirable to permit the application of some equitable principle to recognise the differing circumstances in which the merchant fleets of various foreign nations have suffered serious net losses since the outbreak of war. Those instances in which losses have been incurred in support of the common war effort of the United Nations warrant special recognition ._ The requirement for competitive bidding precludes a suitable recognition of these circumstances in connection with sales to foreign purchasers." Mr Grew's letter further stated that his department believes that if the Government of the Unifed States were to attempt to take advantage of iho war losses of other countries, and ol the war-time increase in its own merchant- fleet, to establish itself in a dominant shipping position, it would be acting contrary to its basic policy of promoting sound international economic relations and an increasing (low of commerce.