1 - American Memory

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