Western Giant of 1938 BY THE ETERNAL, 0 WE WANT NEITHER / FASCISM NOR / COMMUNISM, HERE! ' The Master~ Mate and Pilot Official Journlll of tho National Organiration of Marlon, Matos lind Pilots of America. Published on tho 15th of o4ch month at 810·16 Rhode bland Avo., N. E., Wa~hin9ton, D. C. Vol. I DECEMBER, 1938 No.8 Maritime Commission Makes Big Strides In Building American Merchant Marine Sixty-One Ships Awarded in Last Twelve Months and More Are Being Planned-Object Is to Have Them Privately Owned and Operated, Insofar as Practicable ITHIN the last 12 months, the United States American Merchant Marine but definite progress W Maritime Commi~sion has awarded 61 ships is being made in the improvement of the efficiency to American shipyarcl>,~~; or 30 more than the total of the personnel to man the ships. The steamer built in the eight yeaj-. prior to 1936 that the Mer­ Edgemom' is being converted into a schoolship right chant Marine Act of 1928 was on the statute hooks. here in the Port of Baltimore. The sailing vessels Some of the ships contracted for include: Tusitala and Joseph Conrad are now being used for 1-21 knot, 1,200 passenger ship for U. S. Lines' training. Hoffman Island has been rehabilitated trans-Atlantic service, for which the name and men are already in training there. The Com­ America has recently been selected. mission is arranging for training stations at other 4-16'12 knot cargo ships for the Export Lines' places. Mediterranean service. A system for obtaining and training cadet officers 10-16112 Imot cargo ships of the C-3 type. and cadets for both the deck and engine departments 20-15'12 Imot cargo ships of the C-2 type. is being developed. A training course for officers 12-16112 knot tankers for the Standard Oil Com- is soon to be available. The Commission is thus pany of New Jersey of which two have been building men as well as ships in order to carry for­ sold to the U. S. Navy and two to the Keystone ward the merchant marine program. Tank Ship Corporation of Philadelphia. There are 13 lines subsidized by the Government. These are as follows: In addition to these vessels, bids have been re­ United States Lines-from the North Atlantic ports ceived and the Mississippi Shipping Company and to Europe. the Commission are considering the award of con­ American Export Lines-from the North Atlantic tracts for the construction of three combination to the Mediterranean. passenger and cargo vessels of approximately 16% American Scantic Line-from North Atlantic ports knots sea speed for the South American service from to Scandinavian and Baltic ports. the Gulf, according to M. L. Wilcox, director, opera­ American Republics Line-from North Atlantic tions and traffic, U. S. Maritime Commission. ports to the East Coast of South America. Plans have been completed for a ship somewhat Seas Shipping Co.-from U. S. Atlantic ports to­ similar to the C-3 type but with accomodations for South Africa. about 60 passengers. These vessels are about 16%­ South Atlantic Steamship Co.-from South Atlantic knot speed. Bids have been received for the con­ ports to Europe. struction of ~hese vessels but no award has yet been The Grace Line-from North Atlantic ports to the made pending further studies by the Commission. West Coast of South America. Plans are on the drafting boards for three 23-knot The New York & Cuba Mail Steamship Co.-from ships of about 35,000 tons displacement with ac­ New York to Cuba and Mexico. commodations for 800 passengers, to be operated Lykes Bros.-from the Gulf to Europe and to the in the trans-Pacific service, Likewise plans for cargo Far East, although this latter service has been ships somewhat smaller than the C-2 type, and to curtailed recently due to conditions in the Orient. be known as the C-1 type, are being developed. The Mississippi Shipping Co.-from the Gulf to the These ships will be ahout 7,000 tons total dead­ East Coast of South America. weight with a speed of approximately 14 knots The American President Lines-trans-Pacific serv­ and will be suitable for some of our foreign trades ice and Round-the-World service. where the faster 15th-knot ships with the larger Matson Line-from the West Coast to Australia. deadweight and cubic cannot be used economically. P.A.B. Line-from the West Coast of the United Not only are ships being built to supplement the States to the East Coast of South America. There are a total of 143 ship under subsidy and accomplish two things; (1) to improve the passen­ the annual subsidy payments amount to approxi­ ger service and (2) to get out of the cargo business mately $13,000,000. The construction subsidy on as a Government operation. There was absolutely the 47 ships above mentioned will run to several no hope of getting new ships for the passenger million dollars. service under private ownership so the Commission In a recent talk at the Traffic Club of Baltimore, acqnired three ships which could be adapted to the Mr. Wilcox explained many aspects of the Commis­ trade, reconditioned them and placed them in the sion's program. He said, in part: hands of private operators. The cargo line which "At a recent meeting of prominent steamship was run by the Commission was joined together with people, the Maritime Commission was criticized for the passenger line and that now is under private some of its activities, with the statement that we operation with Government subsidy as permitted are headed for Government ownership and opera­ under the Merchant Marine Act. The Government tion. The Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which actually owns the three passenger ships in this created the Maritime Commission, states in its trade and four of the six cargo vessels that are declaration of policy that the United States shall operated in the service. The ships which we own have a merchant marine sufficient to carry a sub­ are chartered to the operator and are subsidized. stantial portion of its waterborne export and import Thus, we have in this trade a combination of Govern8 foreign commerce and that this merchant marine ment ownership and private operation. shall be owned and operated nnder the United States "Our European competitors whose interests ex­ 8 flag by citizens of the United States insofar as may tend beyond normal economic and commercial aC be practicable. This means private ownership and tivities are getting such a strong foothold in the operation and only as a last resort can the Commis­ countries of South America that it is vitally im­ sion go to any other basis. Let's take some specific portant to the United States to take steps to protect examples to see what is happening and why. our interest in the South American countries. One tangible step that can be talr m in the protection of uThere has been a lot said, printed and read with these interests is the devel;~:ment of proper com8 respect to the Dollar Line. This story can be sum­ munication and transportation systems. There was marized in a very few WOl·ds. The company was absolutely no hope of establishing the proper trans­ in an insolvent and defunct pORition with only two portation system without Government ownership of its ships running in services which normally re­ and here again, and only as a last resort, did the quire 12 ships. Efforts have been made by the Com­ Commission step in, acquire ships and place them mission continuously since its inception to find a under charter and subsidy to private operators. way to keep this line alive. Plans were made, studied This new service is something of which we are all and tried with varying degrees of success. It was proud and we take a back seat for no one in any like a patient on an operating table with an infected respect in connection with this service. leg. First you cut off the toe and the infection HHere is another illustration, a little closer to still spreads. Then you cut off the foot and the home. When the Baltimore Mail Line found it infection still spreads. Then you cut off the leg necessary to terminate its trans-Atlantic services bo. at the knee and the infection still spreads. Finally cause we could not legally give them any greater there is only one thing to do in order to save the aid, the Commission did the best thing it could to patient's life and that is to amputate the entire leg. keep the Port of Baltimore open for American flag "This may sonnd like an Aeso!, fable, but it is tonnage in this important trade. We rearranged approximately the condition which confronted the the schednles of the Government-owned and op­ Commission in September when they took the dras­ erated lines so that Baltimore still has its weeldy tic step of acquiring 90 per cent of the stock of the service to London, Hamburg and fortnightly to line in order to avoid the complete and final demise Bremen, its fortnightly service to Havre and its of the patient. Today, seven ships of the line are fortnightly service to Manchester, Liverpool and in operation, a definite schedule has been prepared, other West U. K. ports. We appreciate the fact calling for the operation of the balance of the fleet that a 10-knot service does not take the place of a required to maintain service and we can look for­ 16-knot service, but we repeat that the Commission ward to a continuation of this important American is the organization that placed American flag ship~ steamship line.