AMERICA'S MARINE

Southland Times, Issue 18852, 18 June 1920, Page 2

AMERICA'S MARINE

BRITISH COMPETITION FEARED. LOS ANGELES, April 22. The largest fleet of tank steamers under any single direction and control in the world is that of the United States Shipping Board, declared Captain Paul Foley, director of operations for the board, in an address in New York. The fleet, he proceeded, aggregates approximately 600,000 deadweight tons, and it will soon reach 900,000 tons. The completed programme of the Shipping Board will be about 10,000,000 tons, of which 8,000,000 tons will be oil burning. Speaking of oil production, he said that 65 per cent, of the present supply is drawn from the United States at the present time. Of the future visible production, he added; "From 90 to 97 per cent, is under the control of Great Britain, and available to British nationals only.’’ The practical effect of this, he declared, is that while British ships can bunker in the ports of the United States on equal terms with American ships and British requirements overseas can be obtained from the nearest source of supply, American requirements overseas must either be met on British terms, or reflect the long haul from the American or Mexican. sea boards.

“The fatal consequence of this handicap js obvious,” he continued. “Having regard to the fact that the admitted advantage which Britain now enjoys is a „very recent acquisition and was secured largely, if not entirely, by means of money lent by the United States Government during the European war, the course of action to he followed is clearly indicated. The Unite ! States Government must secure for American nationals in Britiah-producing fields the same privilege of equal opportunity which it now extends to British nationals in American-producing fields. Failing to secure this, it must take whatever legislative action may be necessary to protect its own resources.” It continues: “No country in the world except Britain had a merchant marine anywhere near the precent and prospective size of that, of America. During the war, the merchant marine of the United Kingdom lost in war operations 7,753,311 tons and 1,032,779 tons in marine casualties, leaving (allowing for new construction) a deficit under the 1914 figures of 2,547,000 actual gross tonnage, while the British Dominions, which had 1,632,000 gross tons before the wir, gained only 231,000 tons.” —Evening Post correspondent.