POST-WAR SHIPPING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25364, 23 October 1943, Page 5

POST-WAR SHIPPING

COMPETITION WITH BRITAIN AMERICA’S INTENTION NEW YORK, Oct. 21. The New York Times says that Britain at the beginning of the war attempted to persuade the United States to agree to freeze the international shipping situation on a pre-war basis with the understanding that no new lines would be established, but the United States refused, and the negotiations have not been resumed. It is learned for the first time to-day, the paper says, that the British contention was that a big merchant marine is necessary for her very existeiice, whereas the United States need for shipping is considerably less. • The New York Times points out that the American position was given prominence by the recent revelation of the deputy war shipping administrator, Vice-admiral Howard Vickery, that the United States intends to have a bigger merchant marine after the war regardless of British co-operation. At the beginning of the last war the United States carried less than 8 per cent, of its own overseas cargoes. In 1940, she was carrying almost 30 per cent. The Maritime Commission expects that America will want to carry 50 per cent, after the war. About 20,000.000 deadweight tons of fast ships are needed for this task. If the war against Germany is over by the end of 1944, the United States Merchant Marine will be at least as large as this, and the shipbuilding capacity is at present 22,000,000 dead-weight tons a year. The Maritime Commission and the War Shipping Administration have appointed a post-war planning commission which is now conferring with American industrial and commercial leaders on the question of which routes should be opened up first and whether or not they should await the end of the war.