AMERICA’S FOREIGN TRADE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 202, 24 May 1944, Page 7

AMERICA’S FOREIGN TRADE

Future Shipping Policy (British Official Wireless* (Received May 23, 7 p.m.) ItUGBY, May 22. “The United States cannot monopolize foreign trade after the war, and it would be highly undesirable to try to do so,” declared the vice-chairman of the Maritime Commission, Rear-Admiral Laud, speaking at Savannah, Georgia. He added : “That goes for other countries.” Rear-Admiral Land had spoken of the “production miracles” of American shipping, This year they expected a little less than the total of over 19,000,000 tons which had been produced last year for operations overseas, but. the ships would have greater speed. Liberty ships and others, manned by a total of some 140,000 men, had carried about 35,000,000 tons of cargo from the United States last year alone, and over 2,000,000 men. Of the future, he said: “There are those who would have America go out for a monopoly of foreign trade routes, and there are those who hold that the shipping is purely a service operation and should be so considered when peace is finally restored. With neither position can I agree. We must keep in mind that our basic policy provides for an adequate modern, efficient fleet in healthy foreign trade and for naval auxiliary purposes many and varied. “Our soundest position must be the policy fixed in the Merchant Marine Act of 1930. It is - flexible as to the size of the fleet, and it provides that this fleet shall be operated by private management where possible, but by the Government should private capital be unable to carry