BANQUET. 331 



merce, some nations excel — it does seem to me that we must have a control over a part 

 of it, a reasonable part of it which originates with us, and which goes to our own particular 

 customer. 



Now, not only is building involved, not only is the question of money involved in, the 

 operation of ships, but the great questions of insurance and classification are involved. I 

 have been accused somewhat lately of going after my good friends from the other side, who 

 insure and also classify ships, and I would have them understand it is only in the most 

 friendly spirit of competition we approach that subject, but we do believe that there are 

 many vital parts in the building of a great marine, and we do believe that we should have 

 here an insurance for that marine, not for all of it, maybe, but for a large part of it; that 

 we should be able to have an American classification society which will rank with the best, 

 and I want to make it clear that I am heartily in favor of it, just as I am in favor of build- 

 ing the ships — as many of them as we can build — in our own yards. (Applause.) 



In the case of any body of men or of any society whatever, gentlemen, we know that 

 competition is a pretty good thing. We are trying to get rid of competition, more or less, 

 and people who' do not think very soundly from an ethical standpoint are trying to get rid 

 of it altogether. In fact, if things become too large and we have no competition, they be- 

 come topheavy, and it is good for all of us that we have to go into the market and bid on 

 things, and get down on our marrow bones, once in a while, and work. These times of ship- 

 building are so nice and pleasant that it is hard to think of the days, when a little freighter 

 was to be let in the port of New York, it would bring us flocking to the men who were to 

 build the ship, with our figures all made out, to see who could build it and lose the most 

 money on it. (Applause.) 



Of course we prospered under government orders and under the Macy Board Award, 

 and we have got our business up on the roof, as it were. We have got it so that ships that 

 were commonly built for $60 a ton now cost from $180 to $300. Maybe we are going to 

 build up a great marine on that basis. Gentlemen, I do not think so. I do not think that 

 American shipbuilding will become a permanent institution until it has gotten a little nearer 

 to bedrock than $180 a ton. (Applause.) Make them standardized or any other kind — one 

 of the difficulties with the job is when you get the price down and so that you can build them 

 and turn them out like hot cakes, you have too many of that kind. Of course the cargo ship 

 is important, but a more important type of ship is the great ships that carry the mail and 

 passengers and the fast freight — the liners. From the shipbuilding standpoint, from the 

 naval architectural standpoint, these are the ships that will be developed in the future in this 

 country to an enormous extent, if we have any marine. However, we must have something 

 to practice on to work up to that. We ought not to be asked to build a 1,000-foot ship, go- 

 ing at 30 knots an hour. I do not mind telling you I do hot know how to build a 1,000- 

 foot ship which will go 30 knots an hour, of the merchant type, but I do believe we could 

 learn how to work up to it. People who think we cannot design and build ships of the 

 highest type in this country need but look over the latest of our naval vessels. For a good 



