The Harvester World: Volume 9, number 11, November 1918

              Stand Behind Our New Merchant Marine

By Edward N. Hurley, Chairman United States Shipping Board

TWO YEARS AGO we had no merchant marine worthy of the name engaged in overseas trade. The American flag flew over a total dead-weight tonnage of 2,412,381 tons — but 80 per cent of this was coastwise and Great Lakes shipping.
The vast supplies which we were sending abroad were shipped under terms and conditions laid down by other nations, because the great bulk of our exports vv'as carried in ships flying foreign flags.
We were a great tourist, nation, but Americans trav¬ eled in foreign ships. We had very few ships going to South or to Central America; very few going to Eng¬ land, France or Germany. We had still fewer going to Russia, Japan, and China. There was just one line of old and comparatively slow ships crossing the Atlan¬ tic; one line cr OS sing the Pacific; and a few lines to Cen¬ tral America and to the Caribbean countries; none to the west coast of South Atnerica; tione to the east coast of South America; none to our cousins in Australia; none to India; and none to Africa. There were American tourists everywhere. There were also American pro¬ ducts ready to go anywhere, but American ships no¬ where. We could not serve the world as we should have served it, because we did not have the vehicles of trade.
Now we are beginning to fulfill our destiny. We have increased American-built tonnage to over 4,000,000 dead-weight tons. We have added 118 German and Austrian vessels, requisitioned eighty-six vessels from the Dutch, and chartered 215 vessels from neutral coun¬ tries, giving us a total of more than 1,400 ships — a merchant fleet of 7,000,000 tons.
We have established a shipbuilding industry that will make us a great maritime nation. When the present program is finished we hope to have about 25,000,000 tons of shipping — 3,000 ships.
The United States Shipping Board is not only the greatest shipbuilder in the world but is the greatest ship operator. If in 1919-20 we have the passenger and cargo tonnage we have planned, we will be in a position to esta'olish a weekly passenger service between New York and Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, and Caracas on the east coast, and weekly service between Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Valparaiso, Chile, on the western coast. On the west coast we now have two fast passenger steamers plying between New York and Valparaiso. These are the first to carry the American flag on the route. They have cut the time between these two important cities from twenty-seven to eighteen days — a saving of nine days.
Our Central American neighbors, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Costa Rica, must all have the very best passenger and cargo service, as must all of our South American neighbors. We have planned the class of steamers required for this service.   The
type will serve our Latin-American friends in a manner that they have never been served before, but which they are entitled to. With the wonderful resources which these countries have, their products should be distributed in the world's markets, and they should have sufficient ships at their disposal and at rates that will enable them, when it is necessary, to sell their products in competition with other nations. This will give them an opportunity to receive their share of profits which will permit them to further develop their countries.
On the Pacific we must provide sufficient tonnage to meet Russia's refjuirements. The country has many products which we need. These articles can be moved in bottoms controlled by us at fair freight rates, and this will be most helpful to the expansion of Russia's trade.
China also has many commod¬ ities which we require, and should receive the transporta¬ tion necessary to move them, not only to our country but to other countries to which she may desire to sell.
That progressive nation, Japan, is rapidly upbuilding her own merchant marine, but the demand for tonnage will be so great on the Pacific that Russia, China, Australia, and other foreign countries will receive serv¬ ice which they have never been able to receive before.
What better use can we make of our merchant marine than to assure to other countries the best possible regu¬ lar steamship service?
The new American mercantile marine will not only place " Old Glory " back upon the oceans but will estab¬ lish new trade routes for American commerce and play the role of protector to the commerce of other nations.
The Nation has stood behind the United States Ship¬ ping Board in its tremendous task of shipbuilding.
Now that the ships are being built, it is the duty of every American to stand behind our new mercantile marine.
These are the Nation's ships.
They will increase the prosperity of the manufacturer, workman, farmer, miner, and consumer.
They mean as much to people in land and farming states as to those along the seaboard and in industrial centers.
The American boy can again obej- the call to the sea, serving in our merchant marine as a seaman, visiting in foreign lands, and rising to command of his own ship.
Let us make our vast merchant fleet not oidy an aid to national prosperity but the greatest instrument of international probity, honesty, and square dealing. We will have the means as well as the desire to safe¬ guard the nations of the world from selfish intrigue and sordid manipulation of the world's markets in the future. The great fleet we are building guarantees the achievement of this purpose.
— .Speech at University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, June 10, 1918.