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Marine keview FOUNDED 1878 SHIP OPERATION : Volume 65 Quick Action is Urgent on Shipping Policy gut’s famous signal to his fleet at Mo- bile bay, was recently quoted by an ad- ministration spokesman as the kind of spirit for American business to emulate. The Ameri- can merchant marine of today would not be true to the splendid traditions of its past were it to disparage such a spirit. But if it seemed apparent that some of these ‘torpedoes’ were being directed against the merchant marine by those who should have its best interests at heart it will surely not be unreasonable to suggest, “‘cease firing, we have ‘enough to cou- tend with from our enemies without running the hazard of being sunk by our friends.”’ While recognizing that a revision of our mer- chant marine policy is desirable and that the camouflage of recognized necessary aid to ves- sels engaged in foreign trade under the guise of mail pay should be replaced by a straight subsidy on a wider and more equitable basis, as proposed by the President and his advisers, it is urgent that there be an end to the inquisi- tion the administration has been carrying on since it took office nearly two years ago. Hold those who may be responsible for irregularities to strict accountability but don’t jeopardize the whole structure of the merchant marine. What progress is being made and how long is it going to be before a definite policy be- comes effective? These are the questions which must be answered. Order must be brought out of the present chaos in American shipping af- fairs. Whether those in authority consider it reasonable or not that is the state of mind at present. The director of the shipping board recently enumerated the steps which the administration is taking to build up a strong and efficient mer- chant marine as follows: 1. The recent investigation of ocean mail pr the torpedoes, go ahead,’’ Farra- SHIPBUILDING : January, 1935 CARGO HANDLING Number 1 contracts by a special committee of the senate. 2. The investigation and hearings now being conducted by the post office department. 3. A study by the federal coordinator of transportation on the coordination, on a nation- al scale, of land, water, and air transport activities. ; 4. The work of the inter-departmental com- mittee on a shipping policy. 5. Preparing the shipping board bureau for carrying on efficiently the administration of the new shipping policy when it is established. The senate investigation, the director be- lieves, has ‘“‘performed a valuable service in revealing and emphasizing the fundamental weaknesses of the present system of camou- flaged and indirect subsidies which makes ir- regularities inevitable.” He is also of the opinion that the basic assumption of the federal coordinator, ‘‘that efficiency of transportation, economy of operation, and a square deal for carriers and shippers can best be promoted by coordinating, on a national scale, our land, water and air transport activities.”’ Of most immediate and direct interest to the shipping industry is the work of the inter-de- partmental committee. This work, the director encouragingly points out, has been so well done and has progressed So far that the report which it will present to the President, before the con- vening of congress, ‘‘will form a starting point from which congress can readily, within the space of a single session, produce a law which will be far and away the best merchant marine legislation that ever found its place on _ the statute books of the United States.”’ We believe the President and his advisers are moved by a sincere desire to protect and build up the merchant marine. No doubt it is a difficult problem but one can hardly fail to notice that it has not been approached with the directness and vigor applied to the building up of the naval forces. This has not been due to any uncertainty in the position of the Presi- dent, and in the national welfare he should now put a stop to political bickering and insist on speedy action on a sound business basis. MARINE REVIEW—January, 1935 7