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March, 1919 National Merchant Marine Association ay ts the hope of promoting the development of an American merchant marine under private con- trol, the National Merchant Marine association was organized as a result of a convention held in Washington on Jan. 23 and 24. Ship operators, shipbuilders and others prominent in the marine affairs of the country, actively participated. The meeting was called by Senator Joseph Ransdell, of Louisiana. <A number of addresses were present- ed by men prominent in marine af- fairs. Included among the speakers were: Homer L. Ferguson, presi- dent of the Newport News Ship- building & Dry Dock Co; J.° W: Powell, vice president, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., and Holden A. Evans, president, Baltimore’ Dry Docks & (Shipbuilding Co; Senator Ransdell, Senator Fletcher, Congress- men Greene and Alexander, Charles Page, of the shipping board; Lewis Nixon; ‘Wallace Downey, president, Downey Shipbuilding Corp., and oth- ers. The following temporary officers were chosen: R. Goodwin Rhett, Charleston, S. C., former president, chamber of commerce of the United States, named as_ vice president, has since declined to serve ow- ing to press of personal affairs; Winthrop L. Marvin, Boston, was named secretary. A permanent presi- dent is to be chosen later. The association adopted a _ resolu- tion pointing out its purpose to ad- vocate the establishment and upbuild- ing of an American merchant marine. A council of not less than 30 mem- bers will form the governing body. Representatives of agricultural, com- mercial and labor interests ‘were rec- ommended for membership upon the council. Admiral F. T. Bowles op- posed the organization of the new association, urging the formation of a body representing the government and people. Senator Ransdell, in sounding the keynote of the convention, pointed out the lack for years past of a definite merchant marine policy. Nine federal bureaus and commissions have more or less to do with shipping, none having any connection with the others, he stated. The questions he recommended for discussion in- cluded the advisability of a big mer- chant marine, its handling as an ef- fective naval reserve, continuance or is to promote the harbors and interior waterways and. THE MARINE REVIEW cancellation of the shipping ‘board’s ship construction program, govern- ment or private ownership, subsidies, federal bonuses to seamen, govern- ment-controlled corporation to op- erate ships, federal reserve of fuel oil lands, relation of the navy to the merchant marine and the creation of a cabinet member to handle trans- portation problems. National Rivers and Harbors Congress HE National Rivers and) Harbors congress held its fourteenth an- nual meeting in -Washington, ‘Feb. 7. The meeting was attended by delegates from all over the country. This congress is ian organization, nation-wide in scope, and its object improvement of to establish and maintain commerce. In the development of inland wa- tenways it was pointed out that there must exist in the territory contigu- ous to the navigable waterway, pro- duction and a demand for distribution of products in sufficient volume to furnish traffic. Emphasis was also laid on the fact that the railroads and waterways must co-ordinate to secure the best results. Pacific Coast Steam- ship Association IRST steps in the organization of the Pacific Coast Steamship associa- tion, which will include in its member- ship all of the owners and operators of the steam-propelled vessels on the Pacific coast, were taken in San Fran- cisco, Feb. 4, at the call of H. C. Cantlow, assistant general manager of the Pacific Steamship Co., and E. J. Marion, assistant general manager of Dodwell & ‘Co. The following lines signified their intention of affiliating with the new association: Hind-Rolph Navigation Co., Union Steamship Line, O. A. Lind- vig & Co. Dodwell & Co. Mitsui & Co., Oceanic Steamship Co., China Mail Steamship ‘Co., East Asiatic Co., Ocean Shipping Agencies, Toyo Kisen Kaisha, Matson Navigation Co., W. R. Grace & Co., Swayne & Hoyg, Bank Line Trans- port & Trading Co., Transoceanic Steamship Co., and Pacific Mail Steam- ship Co. sections 149 National Foreign Trade Council HS) alesis marine problems will dominate the sixth National For- eign Trade convention to be held in the Congress hotel, Chicago, on April 24, 25 and 26. James A. Far- rell, president of the United States Steel Corp., and chairman of the National Foreign Trade council, has just issued the formal call for the convention, “Foreign Trade Essential to Amer- ican Industry” will be the theme of the convention. “The abrupt termination of the war in Europe,” says Mr. Farrell, “has brought the United States suddenly face to face with certain questions of grave concern to American foreign trade and industry. . “Now, as never before, the United States must rely upon foreign trade to make certain the full employment of labor and to provide investment for capital; to stabilize industry and prevent disturbance of domestic con- ditions; to insure the permanent re- tention and operation of our new merchant vessels under the American flag; to maintain prosperity among American producers and to forestall any retrogression from the high stand- ards that have been achieved. “To give. constructive consideration to the needs of American foreign trade enterprise in this emergency; to assist in devising means and methods that will enable our overseas commerce effectively to meet the conditions which it faces, and _ to arouse American manufacturers, farm- ers, merchants, laborers, bankers, edu- cators, railway and steamship men— all the factors of foreign trade in all of the country—to the im- perative necessity of bending their energies. to the prompt solution of these problems, the National Foreign Trade council has called this conven- tion. “This is a call to action. The op- portunity is at hand. A great foreign trade is ours, if only we proceed with energy upon lines of sound policy. A great carrying trade under our own flag is ours, if only we make it pos- sible to operate our new ships in com- ‘petition with those of other nations.” A special session on the American merchant marine will be held on Ap- ril 25 to discuss shipbuilding, provision of cargoes, trade routes and return cargoes, inland waterways, U. S. and foreign navigation systems, a mari- time policy. Beek as Ri gak tae a 9 op Src bral a eR cer is ig oe es 6 a eae ik ale Re