CHINA MAIL
MBER. 1937
SHIPS FOR TRADE OR SHIPS
RESIDENT ROOSEVELT'S re
Pest to Congress on June 8,
asking it to appropriate a total of $160,000,000 to rebuild the Ameri can merchant marine through direct subsidies under the supervi- sion of the Maritime Commission,
marks the first active step toward
FOR
WAR?
Sleek Liners and Busy Freighters Are Potential Fighting Craft, for Merchant Vessels Have Long subsidy clauses of the Merchant Been Designed to Permit Conversion to Belligerent
the application of the construction
Uses.
832 tons, costing $157,- 000,000 and you will have an idea of the impetus given to American shipbuilding.
The fondest dreams of the spon-
sors of the Act appeared to have been realised. But abuses develop-
ed in the operation of the measure, loans and mail contact original
both with respect to the
operation and maintenance of the vessels. President Roosevelt in his
Marine Act of 1936. The total ap propriation would be sufficient to assist in the construction of ninety- played by merchant vessels in the graved in the annals of the last first term applied the words “sub- terfuge" and "failure" to the "dis- War, Captain Dudley W. war. five new vessels of various types. World
guised subsidy" system. Pointing The question arises, however, as Knox, US.N., retired, hastens to re-
In the past our government has to subsidy abuses and excessive to whether that appropriation, if mind us that Great Britain fitted granted, would become a mere the Aquitania with six-inch guns looked askance at outright gifts to salaries, the President proposed the termination of existing “blind" for increasing the naval and sailed her "forth as an armed shipowners call them subsidies," power of the United States. If so, cruiser within five days of the de subventions, or what you will ocean mail contracts as rapidly as The Other governments have not usual- possible," and advised Congress to it would be in step with the prac- claration of war in 1914.” tices of many
nations which are Carmania famed for the sinking ly bothered to disguise the gifts as "terminate the practice of lending con- of the German armed merchant ves- mail contracts as America has government money for shipbuild- subsidizing, not merely the struction of merchant ships, al- sel, Captain Trafalgar, in South done, and even in the United States ing”
though that is the ostensible pur- pose, but really are helping to build vessels which, in time of need, can be converted quickly into ships of This has been true, with only one exception, in recent years.
war
The Nieuw Amsterdam, 33,000 ton flagship of the Holland-America Line, sliding down the ways at Rot- terdam on April 10, meant more to the world than the launching of an- other queen of the seas.
She
is
By Roy L. Pepperburg
Atlantic waters was at sea as a the policy is now a thing of the fully equipped armed cruiser with past. in ten days of the outbreak of hos- The White
tilities."
Act became parent to
era of peace time shipbuilding this country has Naturally a line turned into a ever witnessed. Notable among the light cruiser would be no match for vessels launched under the terms
a man-of-war. But this fact does of the Act are the Manhattan and not lessen the light cruiser's value Washington, of the United States for patrol purposes, blockade work, Lines; President Hoover and Pre- and many other uses. The useful sident Coolidge, of the Dollar Line, ness of Britain's Tenth Cruiser and the Mariposa, Monterey, Lur Squadron, composed of twenty-five line group of the Matson Line. Add armed merchant ships, is en- enough to bring the total to- 56
said to be the first major passenger vessel of any nation to enter the water in many a decade that does not hide within her steel hull the makings of a first-class armed crui- ser, aircraft carrier, troop trans- port, hospital ship or naval anxi- liary Say her builders, She is being built entirely for the comfort THE of passengers on their peaceful oc- casions."
Dramatically, the Nieuw Amster- dam points the way to a policy other nations do not choose to fol- low. The United States and nearly
WORLD GOES BY By "ULYSSES"
on
The result was
Merchant Marine Passage of the
Act of 1936." Un- der this measure direct construc- tion-differential subsidies" and "operating - differential subsidies" entered the American scene for the first time. The two types of sub- sidy are expected to offset lower construction and operating costs. existing abroad. The bill limits
the government will pay, to more than one-third of the cost of a proposed ship, but may in an im- sual instance be increased to 30 per cent.
the construction differential de
Persons interested in the limita-
strengthening of military machines tion of armaments rather than the
have been quick to grasp the im portance of the merchant bottom as an auxiliary naval unit Coin- cident with direct naval limitation, efforts have been made to limit the preparations for naval conversion that can be built into a merchant steamer The question first arose
No preparations shall be made in merchant ships in time of peace for the installation of war- like armaments for the purposes. of converting such ships into vessels of other than the ning of decks for
exceed
every country of importance regards TVE been working on the script ing her eyes and wetting the pen, at the Washington Disarmament a new merchant vessel as a possi of a cinema play. It is to be she puts down the fatal figures, to Conference of 1922, the only con- ble naval ship. In Washington, as called (if it passes the Censor). "The avoid the penalty. Picture switches ference to date that has reached in European official quarters, a Faithful Cockroach," and is to have to show Algernon Bertram, sitting the treaty stage. watchful naval bureau of design a strong love interest. The bean with his evil companions at the The outcome of the conference casts an appraising eye over the teous heroine (a close-up will prove Census Office, gloating with them was the treaty between the United plans of a proposed vessel, whose the beauteousness) is, owing to the over her imminent discomfiture. States, Great Britain, France, Italy builders seek construction sub-death of both her parents in a Picture switches back to show the and Japan. Article XIV of the sidies. The naval authorities sug- church fire, living alone in a cot-heroine, in her mightie, praying be treaty limited the armament of mer- gest the inclusion of small details, tage with no other companion than side her little bed, cockroach lister-chant ships: minor changes in the design to a cockroach she had befriended when ing with an intelligent look in its of antennae. She puts out the light, pave the way for conversion of the it fell on its back in a saucer
the so that the audience may not see ship to naval use in time of warmolasses, carelessly left
she dives into bed, and For the cost of including these lit-kitchen table by the negress cook,ther ankles tle details, the government - pays who was a Wesleyan This cock a beautiful harvest moon shines in (Soft music) By the at the w outright in addition to the usual roach, naturally, is devoted
the faithful construction and operating subsi-heroine. (Several shots of it gam-the light dies.
bolling by her side as she walks cockroach The four passenger-cargo vessels abroad). Algernon Bertram Half-leg He of the Exochorda class, newest ad- but, a handsome youth who greases the census paper and ditions to American Export Line's his hair heavily and parts it in the the age part (Music rise Mediterranean service, are believed middle, sees her and falls in a big crescendo) Foiled! Saved! Hali- to be ideal for instant conversion.way. He breaks ort in ties, socks but, ridiculed by his evil com They are reputed to have sides so and fancy weskits. (Another close-poisons himself with a hairbrush 1930 and 19 built that light armour can be easi-up). One day he notices her faith-Heroine's long-lost lover in naval
fol ly attached.
companion, and remarking officer's uniform comes, and we see ten for the A number of nations have out-"There's a cockroach," tries to put them walking hand in hand to stripped the United States in the his foot on it. (Picture of the foot village cathedral, Faithful Cock extent to which they have applied descending nearer and nearer (in a fade-out) holding the bri the conversion scheme. Airplane to catapults have been provided occa sionally, as formerly on the Europa,
cessive speed, beyond
al peacetime needs, may
as in the new fleet Japanese freighters.
com
son of the profiles of the gr to 30 knot super-liners built 1928 ha suggested to ma vers that their magnificen of dec
ing only
climbin
the top,
table
the
bbles away
WIL MGM aramount. Fox.
the faithful cockroach, train. should thrill the audience)- Quick as lightning the heroine, seeing the peril of her pet seizes the foot in the
time, Algernon Bertram Halibut so he sits down, har on a rock
looking very startled).
tha am conclud
Coser she
inke
and enlis
Cong Civil Servant.
lector He
drama
of a luxury
and that
(152 mm) caliber.
commissions, the ad-
uard of later conferences in
also included
drafts writ
Both
itual disagree- decision. But
or disap- e Japanese
Com
CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 6, 1937.