This is an entity of the U.S government that comprises of civilian mariners and a fleet of merchant's vessels that are either federally or civilian owned and the management is undertaken by the government or the private sector ("Merchant Marine Facts, Information, Pictures | Encyclopedia.Com Articles About Merchant Marine"). These vessels are used for commerce and transportation of various goods and services inside and out of the navigable waters of the United States. During peacetime, the Merchant has a duty of transporting passengers and cargo. In times of war, it works as a helper for the Navy; it serves a duty of delivering military material and military personnel for the Navy. The Merchant Marine contributed significantly to both World War 1 and World War 2.
The wars had a great impact, and the Merchant Marine was not an exception. It faced a great decline because first, the government decided to shift all the interest and capital towards western expansion on rebuilding Europe, more so Germany, like setting up Berlin. The war resulted in many losses, and the government had to find a way to recovery of the nation and consequently its economy (Gustafson). The funds were directed elsewhere and, therefore, neglecting the Merchant Marine. Due to lack of funds, there was not so much to be done, and therefore, it was not able to operate as usual.
The Merchant Marine also declined due to lack of personnel to help out in its operations. Many people were discouraged by how the people who survived the war were unjustly treated. It painted a grim picture of the Merchant Marine. The Merchant seamen who valiantly served their nation were not well treated; they were denied pension, educational benefits, medical care, service credit and most importantly a veteran status (Gustafson).The functionality of the Merchant Marine is what it is because of the people who work there, but if they are not treated justly, then they would not function well hence this factor also contributed to its drastic decline.
The rise of the flags of convenience is another factor. It was characterized by low or no taxes, cheap registration fees, cheap labor and so on (Sweeny). Liberia was one of the countries that prominently practiced it. This resulted in the fact that the actual vessel owners could not be hunted down in the case of oil spills or any other accidents. It also led to the lack of skilled labor as crew for the ships. This contributed to a drop in commerce because every new flag of ownership often made a promotion for itself by offering the least possible fees and at the same time there was minimum regulation. All these factors led to the sharp decline of the Merchant Marine.
Another factor that resulted in the reduction is the losses it incurred during the war, in conjunction with the flags of convenience, which resulted in the Merchant Marine declining. A good example is John Staniszewski, who had around ten ships getting knocked out under his rule. This decline will automatically cause it not to be at par with its competitors. Many ships sank like the City of Rayville, and many others got damaged during the war. These losses also led to the lack of exports to the international market and hence the decline.
These factors have worked together in the drop of the Merchant Marine, and it has resulted in other countries like China, United Kingdom and so forth being of the for front in marine affairs. This is because as they were busy fighting in the war China and other countries, so they emerged as a new player in the field. The wars were a major drawback and the government should actually to strive to bring it back to its former glory.
Works Cited
Gustafson, Andrew. "Merchant Marines, Unsung Heroes of World War II - Turnstile Tours." Turnstile Tours. N.p., 2012. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.
"Merchant Marine Facts, Information, Pictures | Encyclopedia.Com Articles About Merchant Marine." Encyclopedia.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.
Sweeny, Capt Kelly. "Flags Of Convenience Are A Disgrace To The Maritime Industry - Professional Mariner - December/January 2016." Professionalmariner.com. N.p., 2015. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.
