DEVELOPMENT OF A MERCHANT MARINE AND COMMERCE. 221 



On July 1, 1917, shortly after we entered the World War, our merchant marine consisted of 

 the following documented vessels of 500 gross tons and over, engaged in foreign and coast- 

 wise commerce : 



Oiuiiershif NuTtiber Per cent Gross ton7iage Per cent 



Govermiient (U.S.S.B.) 19 1 76,160 2 



Private 1,552 99 3,564,160 98 



Total 1,571 100 3,640,320 100 



In a period of four years and one month, therefore, the net increase in our sea-going 

 merchant vessels has been as follows: 2,163 vessels, which equals 138 per cent, or an aver- 

 age increase of approximately 10 vessels per week. The increase in gross tonnage has been 

 9,694,752, or 266 per cent, an average increase of approximately 45,600 tons per week. 

 This gives some idea of the rapid increase in the size of our fleet and of the increased de- 

 mands that have been made upon our ports and port facilities within that period. The large 

 increase during that period in our sea-borne foreign commerce is shown by the following 

 table, together with the percentage of this commerce carried in American vessels : 



Per cent 

 Total ex-ports carried in 



For year ended and imports American vessels 



June 30, 1917 $7,819,495,133 18.6 



June 30, 1918 7,703,700,456 21.9 



December 31, 1919 10,503,658,855 36.4 



December 31, 1920 11,983,164,252 43.0 



Due in part to governmental control over ship construction during the war, the increase 

 in our privately owned merchant marine during the past four years has not been large, for 

 if the Shipping Board vessels sold to citizens are excluded there has been a net increase from 

 July 1, 1917, to August 1, 1921, of only 220 vessels, or 14 per cent. The increase in gross 

 tonnage was 1,099,255, or 30 per cent. This shows that the real problem today in connec- 

 tion with our merchant marine is to transfer from government ownership to successful oper- 

 ation under private ownership the large tonnage we have built since 1917; for the sudden 

 injection into the world's foreign commerce of such a large amount of new tonnage cannot 

 be accomplished without jarring the commercial fabric of the whole world, as foreign ves- 

 sels cannot be expected to relinquish their business without a vigorous struggle. Similarly, 

 any sudden great increase in the tonnage of our merchant marine that is engaged in coast- 

 wise domestic commerce cannot but cause an appreciable and perhaps serious loss in the 

 revenues of our railroads. This is not stated as a reason for not proceeding with our plans 

 for a large merchant marine as quickly as possible, but only in order to point out that the 

 shorter the time allowed for the establishment of our merchant marine the greater will be the 

 difficulties to be overcome, and the greater will be the dislocation caused existing world trade, 

 as well as that of our own railroads. The adoption of a time factor in executing any na- 

 tional policy of this kind, therefore, becomes a matter of great importance to the success of 

 the undertaking. 



The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 declares "that it is necessary for the national de- 

 fense and for the proper growth of its foreign and domestic commerce that the United 

 States shall have a merchant marine of the best-equipped and most suitable types of vessels 

 sufficient to carry the greater part of its commerce." This may be taken to establish defi- 



