FOREIGN TRADE ZONES 41 
(¢) If no water terminals have been constructed by the municipality or other 
existing public agency, there shall be included in his report an expression of 
opinion in general terms as to the necessity, pumber, and appropriate location 
of such a terminal or terminals. - 
(d) An investigation of the general subject of water terminals, with descriptions 
and general plans of terminals of appropriate types and construction for the 
harbors and waterways of the United States suitable for various commercial 
purposes and adapted to the varying conditions of tides, floods, and other physical 
characteristics. 
A definite policy with respect to water terminals was declared by 
Congress in the river and harbor act of March 2, 1919, in the following 
language: 
[t is hereby declared to be the policy of the Congress that water terminals 
are essential at all cities and towns located upon harbors or navigable waterways 
and that at least one public terminal should exist, constructed, owned, and 
regulated by the municipality or other public agency of the State and open to 
the use of all on equal terms, and with the view of carrying out this policy to 
the fullest possible extent the Secretary of War is hereby vested with the dis- 
cretion to withhold, unless the public interests would seriously suffer by delay, 
monies appropriated in this act for new projects adopted herein, or for the fur- 
ther improvement of existing projects if, in his opinion, no water terminals 
exist adequate for the traffic and open to all on equal terms, unless satisfactory 
mssurances are received that local or other interests will provide such adequate 
lerminsal or terminals. The Secretary of War, through the Chief of Engineers, 
shall give full publicity, as far as may be practicable, to this provision. 
Both the physical and commercial conditions have a bearing upon 
the type of terminal which should be selected for any given locality. 
The War Department and the Shipping Board have frequently 
pointed out the necessity for making a complete economic study before 
any effort is made to decide upon the detailed plans for a proposed 
terminal. Not only must the terminal be adapted for the most 
economical handling and proper storage of the commodities which 
may logically be expected to move through it, but its capacity in 
relation to the volume of business available and the types and sizes 
of carriers to be used should not be overlooked. 
Section 8 of the act of June 5, 1920, made it the duty of the Shipping 
Board, in cooperation with the War Department, to make extensive 
investigations “with the object of promoting, encouraging, and 
developing ports and transportation facilities,” and it also authorized 
the board “to advise with communities regarding the appropriate 
location and plan of construction of wharves, piers, and water 
terminals, and to investigate the practicability and advantages of 
harbor, river, and port improvements in connection with foreign and 
coastwise trade.” 
The Shipping Board and the War Department have cooperated 
with local interests with respect to the location and design of ter- 
minal facilities. In some instances the terminals under consideration 
have amounted in effect to the establishment of a new and modern