Evening Star Newspaper, July 17, 1937, Page 15

THE EVENING PRINTS IN SUMMER EXHIBIT Library of Congress, With Breadth of Selection, Achieves Results Which Show Present State of Art, Offering Much That Impresses Average Print Seeker. By Leila Mechlin. HE art department of the Library of Congress has chosen this off-season to place on view a selection of the prints acquired during the past three years for the national print collection; | & most engaging Midsummer show, the extent and variety of which will | surprise and delight print lovers. These recent acquisitions, shown now for the first time but happily to remain on view for some months, coy- er a wide range of subject and media, and are by print-makers not only from many parts of this country but also abroad: collectively they patiently evidence the present state of print- making as an art. In this collection the gamut is run from prints which are purely abstract to those which are | completely traditional, and from the | holdest wood-cut to the finest etching, from prints so large that they will hardly go into the cases to one the aize of A thumbnail. There must be | 200 or more, and each will be found | to possess individual interest. Purther- more this is not an aggregation of names, although among the print- makers represented are many of out- etanding reputation. In this group, strangers have been made welcome, | And the visitor is, therefore, afforded | the delight of enlarging acquaintance. | To the print lover, such an exhibi- | tion as this offers not one but several | avenues of pleasure: first. that intrin- | #ic in the merit of the prints; second, | the opportunity of meeting “old friends,” works by print makers whose &tvle and distinction have long been recognized: third, measuring one's own Judgment by discovery, and of all| the last is perhaps the most exciting. | Practically all of the prints shown | in this exhibition are contemporary; &ome are very modern, and the feeling of life today runs through the entire | collection. This means a nice ad- fustment of viewpoints which liter- | allv, as in life, evade classification, | the beauty which we have inherited from the past is still ours. and no less precious because we are seeking with | eagerness new beauty in unexplored fields. N THE works of artists from abroad we see the most exereme expres- #ions of this seeking, as. for example, | A series of abstractions by a German print maker, R. R. Yunghaus, to no one | of which has he given title. He uses light and form to create impressive | effects, but effects absolutely without | reference to factual things. One can- not call them “designs.” although, of course, they are designed. They have no more meaning than the flash of light from the windshield of a pas- &ing automobile, or than a detached piece of machinery; they awaken sen- | £ation but do not evoke esthetic emotion; they speak a new language | and of another world not altogether engaging. | Also extreme, but distinctly ap-| proaching the known, are two large prints, explorative, working studies of | “Sleepers.” by Kathe Kollwitz of Berlin, considered by many the greatest print-maker of our day, who | wax already admirably represented in the Library of Congress collection. ! These must primarily be regarded from the standpoint of pattern—| white against black, swept in with | harsh. strong lines. Whatever Frau| Kollwitz does has strength and power | and sometimes, as in & third print by | her in this collection of a mother and ehild, also beauty of a revealing sort. | One does not, as a rule, have to ex- | plain her work, its merit is obvious, | Her subjects have, for the most part, been found among the working people Wwhose cause she and her husband have | long espoused. | From Enrico Glicenstein, & Pole, | have come some interesting line prints, | freely etched, of animals; prints which, as the work of one who is both prml-[ maker and sculptor, reasonably possess | An element derived from the plxsuc.l Quite different, but also explorative #re the lithotints by G. Favia, a Ttalian: large plates of Venice mdi other Italian architectural themes, | handsomely rendered in this little- | used medium. A lithotint is painted, | rather than drawn, on stone and, as| 8 rule, the effects produced have been very delicate, but as employed by this | artist, there are strong contrasts of | light and shade, great breadth and | force in handling, results which can well be described as brilliant. TURN]NG to the works of our own American print-makers, pleasur- able note will be made of an aquatint by S. L. Margolies, entitled “Man's | Canyons,” a “bouquet” of New York | &kyscrapers, sloping outward, and | crossed by rays of light descending | from the heavens, from right to left | which, strange to say, makes a fasci- | nating composition and one which lit- | erally transcribes the impression these | titan towers make upon the beholder, | in & nomenclature by no means usual. | Cubism, if such it is, is here seen to | schieve an astonishingly beautiful purpose. Margolies, it is said, only | turned to etching two years ago, in which time he has developed a new | technique through the medium of | squatint. Perhaps there is no healthier sign of progress in the field of the graphic sris today than the variety of media | now in use. Here in this single ex- hibition, we find wood blocks, wood euts and wood engravings, lithographs, lithotints, mezzotints, aquatints, with and without etching: dry points and pure etchings. The last are still the most difficult, adventurous and satisfying, at least in most instances, in the long run. But quite & number of the print-makers employ several media, using more than one with ease, and choosing the one which, upon oceasion, is best fitted for the rendition of the subject to be tran- acribed. Thomas Handforth, who hails from ‘Washington State, but has spent most of his time for the last few years in China, is admirably represented here by three prints, one of which, a full length etched portrait in line of & Chinaman, is a little masterpiece. How s0 few lines can tell so much as they do, in this etching, it is difi- eult to understand—but every line is precisely right even by the width of & hair: the attitude and the expres- sion are inimitable. Likewise outstanding for merit is John E. Costigan’s “Mother and Child” with goats—a lithograph, with- out background, but boldly and beau- tifully rendered, and with more than & touch of the elemental. Costigan ix represented by three other prints in this exhibition, made for societies for issuance to associate members, etchings and very fine, both in com- position and e:.ccution. Costigan has, it would seem, created a world of his ewn. a world which has little actual foundation in contemporary life en the farm, but which, none the legl. Art in Washington CORCORAN GALLERY OF ART—American paintings; W. A. Clark collection paintings, furniture, tapestries, rugs, lace, etc.; Barye bronzes; American sculpture; etchings. UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM—National Art Collec- tion—American paintihgs; works by the old masters; stained glass; objet d'art; sculpture. SMITHSONIAN INSTITU- TION—Division of Graphic Arts—Prints and process ex- hibits; fine printing and il- luminations. FREER GALLERY OF ART— Oriental art;.the Peacock Room: etchings, drawings and paintings by Whistler; paintings by other American artists. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS— Division of Fine Arts—Etchings, lithographs and engravings— color prints and reproductions— by leading printmakers. Pennell collection, Whistleriana. Art reading room, Mural paintings in public buildings; sculpture on public buildings and in city parks. because of his sincerity, carries con- viction, "THERE are not, on the whole, a great many figure subjects in this exhibition. The printmakers, more than the painters, seem to have turned to nature for Inspiration, or, if not nature, to architecture and things seen out of doors. Kerr Eby, whose etch- ings of war, gravely witnessing to its futility, have brought him fame and respect, is represented here, to his equal advantage, in an etching of | “Evening.” a stretch of calm water, | very simple in composition, but exqui- | sitely rendered, and also by a New England Winter landscape in the same vein. Philip Kappel is at his best, | which is saying much, in his etching entitled “Crossed Trails,” as is Levon West in “The White North” and ‘Wes: | Gate,” the latter pure landscape, West- €rn mountains, etched with a sense of form and richness of shadow that re- call some of Y. D. Cameron's plates made in the Scotch highlands. John Taylor Arms, president of the Society of American Etchers, National Academician and brilliant technician. is represented here by a comparatively | early print, but an excellent one, a| | Gothic subject, “Crown of Normandy,"” | | while to the credit of Louis Rosen- | berg, & Kkindred spirit with Arms, | stands “Pia»za di San Pietro,” finely | drawn, sensitively etched. In this connection mention may well be made of notable additions to the Pennell collection included in lhis! showing, among which are two very| interesting etchings. One of these 's | well known, “On the Arno"—the Ponte | Vecchio to the right, the facades of | houses on the L'ung Arno to the left—| & charming composition, beautifully rendered. The other is a unique ‘piece | —An etching of Broad Street, New! Yerk, looking north toward Wall Street, an etching made as only Pen- nell could on order from the stock exchange, to be printed full size on its certificates of membership, and | hence never for sale. It is seen in this | exhibition with the lettering at the bottom. as used, but with the space for member’s name in blank. Never did' Pennell do s better street scene in lower New York than this. BUT to pass on. R. Stephens Wright, F. Townsand Morgan and Kath- erine Kimball are all seen in group exhibits which place them in the front ranks of contemporary etchers. Wright is at his best in “La Cathedrale de Bayeux,” a water front scene in which high masts of vessels overtop the cathedral spire; Morgan shows, among other prints, a very nice boat picture, “Rainy,” and an impreasive view of a mountain ridge, “In the Shenandoah”; while Miss Kimball makes especially Rood report in an etching of a “Court- yard,” well studied. Andre Smith is represented in dual character by an | early work, very traditional, “The Al- cantara,” and a late work, “The Little Basin,” very modern. There are prints of Kev West by Avery Johnson, and of Mexico by Hirst Milhollen, the latter a member of the Society of Washington Etchers, There are etchings by Ernest Haskell, very knowing, of New England; there are Southern pines, beautifully etched by Alfred Hutty, and very capably set forth in the same medium by Ruth Doris Swett. From the West Coast comes one of cactus in the desert, “The Sentinel,” by Alfred Rudolph, who first made a name for himself through the medium of pencil draw- | ings of rare perfection, and is now seen to have mastered the more difficult medium with equal skill. James E. Allen shows us the drama of the industrial world in “Teeming Ingots,” men working in the flare of | the furnace, white hot. Gordon Grant pictures the seafaring men of New | England; Harrison Cady. in his semi- comic style, the inhabitants of Great Smoky Mountains. From Troy Kinney has come a light and lively transcription of two dancers, with that sense of buoyancy and rhythm inherent in the theme. The touch of drama is distinctly found in Albert Groll's etching of a “Wayside Cross.” a work the merit of which should augment his enviable reputation as a painter; and there is grimness as well as strength in the print entitled “Famine,” the work of Devit Welsh. Charles Dahlgreen's *aquatints of snow scenes are outstanding for both pictorial charm and technical merit, and much may also be said in praise of the aquatints and mezzo- tints by Alex Mastro-Valerio, beauti- fully drawn, painter-like in quality. 'l‘HERE are excellent wood cuts and engravings by Lankes and Nason, Fletcher Martin, the late Macowin ‘Tuttle and Asa Chefletz, the last find- ing representation by cuts, the larg- est of which is the size of a visiting card, while the smallest could be cov- ered by a nickel. Few color wood blocks are included and for the most part these are not of the artists' best, but help to round out their showing. There are color prints by three for eign artists, made in two instances while visiting this country, but they are of mild interest rather than real distinction. However, they help to widen the representation. And yet many that are very worthv have not been mentioned. A word must be said of the varied and excei- lent group of prints by Ellsworth Woodward of New Orleans: of the charming California landscape, “Pat- tern Makers,” by Milford Zornes; of the | STAR, WASHINGTO) ¥ i | lithograph of a prize fight; of ‘works by Lozowich, Boyer, Borg, Grossman, Hobbs and Sonderberg, not forgetting Martin Lewis, one of the most gifted ! of all. When the difficulty of the media used is taken under consjdera. tion, and the fact that 25 years ago printmaking in this.country was al- most at & standstill. the breadth, va- | riety and quality of the work here set worth is certainly very remark- able. Hull (Continued From Page B-1.) |the total 67-million-doliar increase in American imports from that island during the second agreement year, as compared with the last year before the agreement. In the case of Canada, trade be- tween the United States and that country for 1936 marked the first year under the Canadian-American trade agreement. Canadian imports from the United States reached a to- tal of 370 million dollars in 1936, | representing an increase of more than 57 million dollars over 1935. United States imports from Canada rose to 378 million dollars in 1936 from 286 million dollars in 1935—an increase of | | 92 million dollars. During 1936 Ca- nadian imports from the United States | showed & gain of 18 per cent over 11935, as compared with an increase |of 12 per cent in imports from all other countries. The United States, on the other hand, took 32 per cent more goods in value, from Canada in 1936 than in 1935, while imports from all countries were only 17 per cent | larger. “Thus it may be assumed,” con- | cluded Secretary Hull, “that in each case the agreement has been one of the factors which enabled each coun- try to improve its relative position as a supplier of the other country's market.” In reference to Belgium, Mr. Hull | remarked that although there has been no official release giving a com- | plete analysis of the results of the agreement with Belgium, some in- complete data regarding the effects of this agreement are available. “As with Cuba and Canada the available figures indicate that the trade with Belgium has also been stim- ulated by the trade agreement. Im- ports into Belgium from the United States increased by 10 million dollars | during the first year under the Belgian | agreement, or by 23.4 per cent as com- | pared with the preceding vear, while ! Belgian imports from all other coun- | tries during this same period increased by only 5 per cent, showing that the “Mother and Child,” a lithograph the exhibition of recent accessions at > | major D. C., SATURDAY., JULY 17 by John E,‘Costipau, in the Library of Congress. market, United States of commodities on which Belgium granted us tariff re- ductions increased by 67 per cent.” “Sixteen trade agreements have been concluded to date, some with commercial countries of the world; others are now being nego- tiated. There are encouraging signs that nations are realizing that no country is so abundantly endowed with natural resources and technical skill that it can be economically suf- ficient unto itself and remain pros- perous. There are also encouraging signs to show that the nations are increasingly aware of the necessity for an outlet for their surpluses if they are to maintain their stability and power, “When the orderly process of trade breaks down as a means for securing this ready exchange of goods, and the distribution of the necessary raw ma- terials of the world, conquest and the march to imperialism become irre- sistible. Perpetual conflict is the price of imperialistic expansion. Each step in the armament race going on in Europe today bristles with new menace of economic disorganization, and because our destinies are 30 closely interwoven through the chan- Wells Sawyer's sensitively rendered | United States has very definitely im- | nels of international trade any eco- print made in Malaga; of Golinkin's proved its relative position in that.nomic crash abroad is bound 1o have SALT SEA Maryland’s Only Seashore Resort Is Attracting Record Crowds. By James Nevin Milley. VERYTHING points to a record- breaking tourist season at the two popular ocean playgrounds on the Eastern Shore. Ocean City, Maryland's only seashore resort, and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware's best known watering place, have greatly enlarged their recreation facilities and are ready for the largest crowds in history. At Ocean City, Chief of Police Lemuel Cropper estimated that 75,000 visitors had arrived by mid-afternoon of the Fourth. This total was some | 10,000 more than have ever been counted at one time before. Capt. T. T. Moore of the Coast Guard Station said that 5000 persons had been in bathing during the day. i No official count was made at Rehoboth. However, many of the | concessionaires at the beach remarked that never before had they done such a rushing business in a single day. Bathing and fishing were the main attractions for visitors, at both resorts, who come chiefly from the District of Columbia, Maryland, Delaware, Vir- | ginia and Pennsylvania. ! ‘Washingtonians who have never | visited these recreation areas will find it very much worth their while to do S0 at their earliest opportunity. Prob- ably nowhere along the entire Atlantic seabpard is the bathing more pleasant for novice and experienced swimmer alike, the sand cleaner and the surf riding more carefully supervised by competent life guards. As for the roads, where hereabouts are there better ones? The famous Du Pont Highway extends from one end of Delaware to the other. All through this section you'll note | stretches of finest macadam, some of them 8 to 10 miles long, as flat as a table and with not a whisper of & curve. If these enticements are not enough, bear in mind that the peninsula is one of the finest farming areas in the world, being especially famous in the growing of asparagus, string beans, limas, sweet potatoes. It produces delicious watermelons and canta- loupes. It is one of the richest strawberry growing States of the Nation. The region ships over one- third of all tomatoes shipped in the entire United States and has several of the world's largest canning factories. THB wise motorist will try to make the 8 o'clock ferry to the Eastern Shore. Ferry boats leave Annapolis on the hour for Matapeake, Md., the first one takes off at 7 am. and last one, at 12 pm. and the same holds true for the return journey. If you make the early boat you can reach Rehoboth by early afternoon, for the ferry ride takes 40 minutes and Rehoboth is 81 miles from Matapeake. A triffie over two hour's drive if traffie ¢ 15 light and you enjoy brisk motoring. SPRAY ENTRAN AMERICAN | AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION WASMING TON nC COPYRIGHT = “New England Winter,” an etchin “La Cathedral de Ba accessions at the Library Belgian imports from the | its acc.mpanying depressing effect’ upon us. “In the establishment of recip- rocal trade agreements we have at hand a most powerful and effective instrument for the prevention of war that follows inevitably upon econom- ic upheavals. It is a practical weapon and, I reiterate, the only alternative to war. It is essential to the resto- ration of the world's economic health, without which nations can never de- velop adequate resistance to the psychological madness that makes pos- sible internal and external strife.” The fine, expressive hands of the Secretary of State—strong, with long, flexible fingers like those of & mu- siclan—made an eloquent gesture that seemed to embrace all nations and all peopies of the world. “A ‘long time?’ Well, we have made the start. It is an attitude of mind, a way of think- ing, a pattern of life that must grow along with us. It must go on and on, until war will no longer be tol- eraled by the civilized world. As I stated in Buenos Aires, the real patriots and the real heroes of the future will be the leaders who find and follow the road to peace.” The clock on the wall showed that our “chat’ had extended almost to an hour. Conscience-smitten, I rose to go, for the Secretary had himself given no indication that the visit yeur,” drypoint by R. Stephens Wright, in the exhibition of recent of Congress. by Kerr Eby, in the exhibition of recent accessions at the Library of Congress. way ended. I remember him as I left, standing by hat greal malog- | #ny desk in a room of rich brown wnd vivid blue, and I noticed par- ticularly the flag of the United States on & standard behind him. I saw his sensitive and distinguished head | against a background of scarlet and while bars and a blue field spangled with stars, “The patriots of the future wil | be the leaders who find and foliow the road to peace. * * * ‘ That road may well be the way of trade agreements, a program which has fired the imagination and stirred | the eternal hope of the world. Meréhant Fleet (Continued From Page B-1) accompenied by ships of foreign reg- | istry, VWHEN the World War broke out there were only 19 American shipe in ocean trade, of which only 6 | were in the North Atlantic service and 4 in the South American trade. | Representative Sirovich said in his House speech that had we possessed adequate shipping we would have ! fallen heir to the tremendous markets Burrsville CES MOTORISTS AT OCEA Clip this map for your trip to the Beach playgrounds on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It was prepared especially for The Star by the American Autgmobile Association. While leaving Annapolis you see | lovely scenery where the Severn meets | the Bay. Especially fine is the view of the Naval Academy grounds and you'll see seaplanes and training vessels anchored in the water and a good | many yachts of assorted sizes. ‘When you reach Matapeake you're on U. 8. 404, Stay on this until you reach Denton, 32 miles away, 48 miles from Rehoboth and 67 miles from Ocean City. Denton is in the heart of the Eastern Shore's richest farm- land, capable of producing 75 different crope, 35 of which are grown on a commercial scale. While leaving Denton look out for & Iarge sign that directs you to Rehoboth and you'll experience no difficulty in finding your destination. However, ‘whatever you do, don't take the route through Greenwood, since that necess- itates a detour. Your journey leads through mile after mile of splendid Jooking tomato plants. Tomatoes seem to be a trifie late this year, though some of the early varieties ought to be ready for picking very shortly. Green beans, bush and ground limas have been picked for some few days now, and corn in many places is at least two feet high. Some 10 miles the other side of Denton you strike the Delaware State Line and continue to see unmistakable signs of rural prosperity on every side. ‘There are acres of apple orchards through ‘here, many of them over- flowing with ripe fruit of the early varieties. S!Nc! about this time last Summer an entire new lane of highway has been added from the Delaware Line to some three miles the other side of Bridgeville. For the remainder of your trip the stretch of macadam roadway, only a few years old, is in splendid condition. . mmmtun?am A scene taken on the Ocean City, Md., boardwalk on th_erFourth ef J:flr!. cut and are now being threshed. Farmers look for a banner year from virtually every crop, though there has been too much rain to guarantee the finest kind of tomatoes this year. Quite & building program is going on. Bridgeville is passed, a lovely little hamlet with its handful of wee white bungalows trimmed with green roofs and shutters. All through this section there are nurseries where flowers, ornamentals and rock garden plants ATe Grown On an enormous acale. Incidentally, holly berries are also raised here commercially, and many of the farmers have been growing soy beans, mostly for cattle feed. Pretty soon you find yourself on Delaware 18 and this takes you all the way to your damnnlg. There's rarely & bump on this fine road, and only occasionally the slightest hint of & curve. Small wonder that this is known far and wide as one of the flatest sections in the East. ‘You pass through Georgetown, with its neatly trimmed hedges and flower- bedecked bungalows. It's fun to traverse a tiny one-way circle and park flanked with stately shade trees. For several miles through here a new road shoulder, perhaps & foot wide, has been added lately, a factor which aids the cause of safe driving. You now skirt the little town of Lewes. The scenery hereabouts is magnificent. Lewes has historical in- terest. It was bombarded by the British during the War of 1812 and was for mymaH—ulunm warships and commercial lines, and | served as headquarters for the Dela- | ware Bay pilots. | COUPLE of minutes more and you find yourself in Rehoboth. The re- sort is i Sussex County, Del, on the Atlantic Ocean just south of Cape Henlopen. It's the best known beach in Delaware and the only large water- ing piace in the State. There are a handful of hotels and many cottages for rent, and a colony of privately owned Summer homes. The resort has an airport, a golf course, and ample facilities for fishing parties. As you drive into the beach area proper, you see numerous signs adver- tising tourist eabins and cottages for rent. The wurlaeunp s to the left N CITY White Sands of Rehoboth’s Notable Beaches Charm Week-End Trippers. of the main highway. Here indeed is & small but up and coming recreatio community. Along the boardwalk the facilities, on & modest scale, are those | of almost any modern seashore resort: A movie. dance hall, innumerable restaurants, games, food stores and shops. Be sure to visit the private cotlage section of Rehoboth. Known as the Pines, it takes up a section of Columbia | avenue and Surf avenue. A pleasant | drive is down Surf avenue. which runs | parallel to the beach. The resort is composed of a series of small avenues, most of them pointing to the sea. Bathing here is very enjoyable. However, here are some friendly sug- gestions: Men and boys must wear the tops of their bathing suits. Other- wise they are not permitted on the ! beach. It should be pointed out, | further, that bathing shoes should be worn by both man and woman swimmers. There are two reasons for this, one, that there are places where | the sand is composed of rather large, sharp stones and the other is that if you choose to walk along the board- walk, you may catch a splinter or two unless your feet are protected by shoes. Ocean City, Md,, is 42 miles from Rehoboth and 67 miles from Denton (see map). You can reach this resort from Rehoboth in a trifle over an hour, granted that you are a fairly brisk driver. First of all head for Bethany Beach, Del, 12 miles away, along the ocean causeway. Then go to Frankford, Del. Follow Route 113 to Berlin, Md., and then drive along 213 to Ocean City. Y ALL means tarry at least a few minutes in Berlin, home of the stock-breeding farm where Man o War and other famous race horses were reared; and the town is the birth- place of Stephen Decatur, naval hero. Near Berlin is the largest block of apple trees in the world and the larg- est grower of strawberry plants in existence. The nurseries, said to in- clude at least 8,000 acres, extend near- ly all around the town, The approach to Ocean City is a treat to the eye. The highway is flanked by majestic poplars and pines. Located in Worcester County, this is the only sizable seashore resort in Maryland. Along the highway approaching the resort are many furnished and un- furnished cottages for rent this year, especially in the neighborhood of Her- ring Creek. Many of the hotels bear the same names as those in Washington. There is the Mayflower at Twelfth street, directly on the ocean, and the Shore- ham is on the boardwalk at Fourth street. Every dwelling faces either on the ocean, on the bay, or both, and the long beach, covered with fine. white sand, stretches farther than the eve can see. The broad boardwalk ex- tends about a mile and a half along the coast. 1 n | of Latin America, which the warring Dations had been compelled to abane don. We need never have sold to the | belligerents, he said, but could have dealt legitimately with South Amerie ca, the Far East and South Africa. ‘The situation became so serious that in 1916 Congress passed legislation creating the United States Shipping Board. The Nation then embarked on the most stupendous shipbuilding proe gram in the world's history. Ships Were ordered by the thousands, were commandeered, requisitioned, seized, purchased and chartered. Shipyards came into being almost overnight and within 20 months grew to such an ex= tent that one which had employed 50.000 persons took on seven times that many. The demand was greater than the steel industry could supply, and the country took to building weoden, composite and even concrete ships. Three billion dollars was apent. or commitied to construction of ships | during this period. As a result of | this orgy of building. when the Na- | tion had to have ships at any cost, the Government is spending $100.000,000 & year in interest charges alone on | that wartime fleet, | The scene shifis to the post-war period, and America begins a drastia tightening of its belt, pautically speaking. The curtailment of ship- | bullding activities was so rapid, in fact, that during the years 1918 tn | 1921, 1nclusive, keels laid each year totaled 1110, 651, 54 and 5, respec- tively. And from 1922 to 1928 not a single ship was built in American ards for overseas foreign trade serve ice, while during the same period mil- lions of tons were built by foreign competitors. l;IUL‘RI‘LS —even figures about boats and oceans—are dry, but these tell & story: From June, 1922, to June, 1933, the steam and motor ship tone | nage of the world increased by 5,285.- 000 tons, while the United States was reducing its tounsge by more than 3.- 000.000 tons, or over 20 per cent of | ils total. British Empire tonnage de- | creased by ouly 40.000 tons or less than | one-tifth of 1 per cent of its total. ‘This Nution ranks next to last in ship tonnage among the six principal | maritime countries in ships with speeds of 12 knots and upward, and has the smallest percentage of vessels 10 years old or less. In five years' time all but about 40 of America’s foreign trade fleet of 381 ! vessels will be at least 20 years old, | and every last ship in the Govern- | ment-owned merchant fleet will b | that old. In the private merchant | fleet enguged in foreign trade ships of only 10 knots speed predominate. During the quarter ended last March 31 the United States was behind Great Britain, Germany, Japan and Holland in ship construction, according to stae | tistics from Lioyds Register of Ship= | ping. She was building only 145340 | tons—less than 6 per cent of the total under construction — while Great Britain was building 1,011,244 tons, VWITH American shipping at sich a low tide—lowest in the Nation's history, with the exception of the 10 | years ‘preceding the World War—tha | Maritime Commission &ims to restore | the United States to the maritime position it occupled in the middle of the last century. This it seeks to do by direct subsidy, by compensating ship | operators according to the difference | between their operating costs and the operating costs of their foreign come petitors. These differences are largely matters of wages, subsistence, mainte- nance, insurance and repairs. To qualify for a subsidy an operator must agree 1o develop a long-range program for the replacement of all vessels over 15 years old It is not the present intention of the | commission, officials said, to encourage | the building of “superliners” like the | Queen Mary, the Normandie. ltalys | Rex and Conte di Savola, Germany's Europa and Bremen. Preferred are | speedy ultra-modern 20,000-tonners, like the Manhattan and George Wash- ington—combination passenger and | cargo ships. The time for superliners may come soon, but it is thought best | to wait until the American merchant | marine re-establishes itself on a sound, profitable basis. Ocean giants like the Queen Mary are regarded more as | costly advertisements than as service- able merchant vessels. After years of being & second-rate— worse, a fifth and sixth rate mari- time power—the United States is ocean-minded again, and the era may not be a distant one when Columbia again will rule the waves and the Stars and Stripes will be as prominent in domestic and foreign ports as the Union Jack, the Tricoleur, the Bwase tika and the Flag of the Rising Sun. n {