The text is a study of the American merchant fleet from 1945-1961. The study outlines the decline of the fleet during this period. The decline was precipitous, and eventually threatened the fleet's ability to support military demands in the event of a large-scale mobilization. The failings of the merchant marine became apparent as the Vietnamese build-up escalated under Lyndon Johnson. By itself, the American fleet was no longer able to maintain the Vietnamese lifelines. / The text also examines federal legislation which affected the size and composition of the American merchant fleet. The Merchant Ship Sales Act of 1946, the "Long-Range" Shipping Act of 1953, and later Tanker and Passenger Constriction Acts are detailed. Emphasis is given to the role of the Truman and Eisenhower administrations in the passage of these acts. / The basic thrust behind the study is that the United States allowed a vital defense related tool to deteriorate during the early postwar period. In 1945, the American fleet was unsurpassed. Problems of finance, obsolescence, subsidization, and labor, however, led to a rapid decline. A basic problem existed. Because of greater operating, building, and labor costs, American ships were more costly to own than were competitors registered under foreign flags. As a result, hundreds of ships, which might have joined the American fleet, were registered instead in countries like Panama and Liberia. As foreign registration promised greater profits for these operators, they took their vessels away from American registry. This deprived the American fleet of needed replacement vessels, and resulted in a reliance on foreign vessels to carry American goods. The text details the resulting rise of "Flags of Convenience," and the formation of cooperative shipping pools to operate in time of crisis. / Data for the text was compiled mainly from the Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy Presidential Libraries. Numerous secondary works, especially contemporary journal articles, were used. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-04, Section: A, page: 1265. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74812 |
| Contributors | KELLEY, WILLIAM JOSEPH, III., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 288 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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