NAVAL SUPPORT A UGMENTED BY MERCHANT SHIPS

ABSTRACTThis paper takes the proposition that at the present time National Defense interests could be better served than they are under the existing Merchant Marine Act; probably much better served by incorporating some modifications to that act; and that action must be taken to seek improvement or our seaborne naval posture will continue to be woefully inadequate. This paper also presumes to state that the Defense Establishment has not recognized that the Merchant Marine can be used as an adjunct to our Navy ships, not as a competitor, and that this use will in fact enhance the capability of Navy manned and operated ships. On the other hand, the Department of Commerce has not been as active as it might have been in the pursuit of construction subsidies to those ships which offer a potential for National Defense as well as for commerce.This paper makes general suggestions to resolve these differences and some specific changes to National Defense requirement, and develops a rationale as to Navy needs and sealift capacity to justify this approach.The paper does not address the general use of commercial ships in a war or emergency sealift capacity.