Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 January 1919 — International Service and Opportunity of American Merchant Marine [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

International Service and Opportunity of American Merchant Marine

By EDWARD N. HURLEY

Our merchant marine of today and tomorrow will carry a message of good jvill to the nations of the world. Millions of cruelly starved folk face westward from every shore with mouths open to the promise of Ameriica. fed, and clothed, and also supplied with other necessities of life. Highway transport" facilities are at the farmer’s gate, and “at «. ry farmer’s gate” must immediately suggest the initial phase of overseas distribution. The> highways transpc service is the first step in the great system of transportation to the sea and then on the

mmyhunt marine to the far points the world. Our railroads must no< longer end at the ocean. We are building an American merchant fleet of tweiitv-five million tons —three thousand ships. We are backing modern ships with modem port facilities, establishing our bunkering stations all over the globe, and will operate with American railroad efficiency; We will carry American cargoes at rates corresponding to our railroad rates —the cheapest in the world. Fast American passenger and cargo liners will run regularly to every port in Latin America, the Orient, Africa, Australia. We must all take off'our coats and work to bring these American ships home to the people of every American interest and community. The manufacturer must think of customers in Latin America as being as accessible as those in the next state. The farmer must visualize ships carrying his wheat, cotton, breeding animals, dairy products and fruit to new world markets. The American boy must think of ships and foreign countries when he chooses a calling. British policy seeks to develop all the resources of the far-spread British empire. A world-wide inventory is being taken of the metals, the fibers, the crops and other resources of British colonies, so that John Bull may supply his own needs as far as possible and may increase the prosperity of Britons everywhere by developing their resources, broadening their trade and raising their incomes and living standards. Our task is to use American merchant ships, American dollars, American factories and American ability to help other nations in the same way. Since the Civil war we have learned what railroads, money and energy will do for undeveloped sections in our great West. After the world war we must learn what American ships and American money and American energy can do for the undeveloped sections of other nations such sections as the rich mineral country of the west coast of South America, the great, fertile Amazon basin, the growing nations of Australia and South Africa, so like our own in many ways. Our new merchant ships will take us into this great field of international service and international opportunity. It is time for Americana everywhere to think of world trade from this angle of raw materials.