1 - American Memory
1 - American Memory
1 - American Memory
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22<br />
Now, in the interest of time, Mr. Chairman, T have a 5-page testi-<br />
mony and I would like to have this made a part of the record and I ask<br />
imanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks.<br />
Mr. JARMAX. The committee will be glad to receive it in full for the<br />
record.<br />
Mr. WON PAT. I will make a very brief statement summarizing my<br />
prepared testimony. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee,<br />
Guam is not unlike Hawaii as it is an island economy depending<br />
totally on external sources for most or almost all of what it needs or<br />
what it consumes, that is, clothing, construction material, food, and<br />
so on.<br />
As you know, Guam is the furthest and most farflung <strong>American</strong><br />
territory, 6,500 miles from the west coast, and there are only three<br />
shipping lines that serve Guam. It is also served by three airlines.<br />
As you are probably aware, during the strikes that have taken place<br />
in the past Guam was seriously affected since it depended upon most of<br />
its needs from the west coast. The statistics show that of the total<br />
imports in Guam on a certain date, the amount of goods imported to<br />
Guam from the mainland fell in five categories: Foodstuffs comprised<br />
70 percent; 89 percent, beverages, and tobacco; and 90 percent, cooking<br />
oil; 80 percent of machinery; and 80 percent of building materials<br />
needed for construction.<br />
Now, in terms of all of the imports from the United States, Guam<br />
imported 47 percent compared to other countries. In the last strike<br />
Guam had to resort to foreign countries in order to get what it could<br />
for its needs.<br />
Guam in order to be able to withstand a strike, even a short one, will<br />
have to undergo an exorbitant procedure of resorting to air freight.<br />
As you know, the distance is so large that it is almost prohibitive to<br />
import by air. I remember in the last strike, I communicated with<br />
Mr. Bridges about this matter, that we as <strong>American</strong>s want, of course,<br />
to obtain all of our needs from the United States, but in the light of the<br />
strike, we find ourselves in a very difficult position. So he responded<br />
that it would be well for us to resort to foreign countries in order to<br />
get our goods.<br />
We don't believe in that, Mr. Chairman. We as .cVmericans have<br />
adopted the <strong>American</strong> way of life and for all of our needs we have<br />
depended on the United States and certainly we don't want to be<br />
forced to depend upon foreign countries which we don't know. We may<br />
be placed at their mercies in certain circumstances.<br />
So for that reason, Mr. Chairman, I ask the committee to give this<br />
bill your favorable consideration.<br />
[Mr. Won Pat's prepared statement follows:]<br />
STATEMENT or HON. ANTONIO B. WON PAT, A DELEGATE TO CONQEESS FBOM THE<br />
TEBBITORY OF GUAM<br />
Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to have this opportunity today to present my<br />
views on H.R. 7189, the Hawaii and U.S. Pacific Surface Commerce Act of 1973,<br />
which I cosponsored with my two distinguished colleagrues in the House from<br />
Hawaii, Mrs. Patsy Mink and Mr. Spark Matsunaga. Senators Daniel Inouye<br />
and Hiram Fong have Introduced similar legislation in the Senate.<br />
As you know, the purpose of our measure is to end the unfair and unnecessary<br />
stoppage of cargo to and from ofT-sliore <strong>American</strong> areas during lengthy ship-<br />
ping strikes. The repeated strikes and the constant threat of continued strikes<br />
In the West Coast ports hangs like a Damocles sword over the economies of our