FOREIGN TRADE ZONES 83 
0m- 
, the 
may 
free 
sible 
‘hese 
itab- 
one 
a of 
ress 
per- 
and 
the 
such 
i avi- 
itlet 
arts; 
tion 
yun- 
tes; 
the 
oca~ 
the 
ent 
118~ 
the 
the 
with communities regarding the appropriate location and plan of construction 
of wharves, piers, and water terminals; to investigate the practicability and 
advantages of harbor, river, and port improvements in connection with foreign 
and coastwise trade; and to investigate any other matter that may tend to pro- 
Wote and encourage the use by vessels of ports adequate to care for the freight 
which would naturally pass through such ports; * * * 
It will be seen that the above item requires the Shipping Board 
and War Department to conduct investigations quite similar in nature 
and scope to those which should precede the authorization of a free 
port. These Federal establishments have jointly conducted 
extensive investigations of port and shipping conditions, the results 
of which have been made available in a series of 22 volumes known as 
the Port Series and in the volumes of the Transportation Series and 
Miscellaneous Series. The free port is essentially a maritime insti- 
tution. It has its economic cornerstone in the load factor, and its 
proper location is at the crossroads of shipping lanes. If Congress 
determines that free ports should be established, not only their loca- 
tion but the planning and facilities should be properly coordinated 
with our trade routes, in order that the raw products of foreign 
Nations may be brought to our shores and the portions unsuited to or 
not required for our consumption may be redistributed to other 
countries. ‘These operations demand the intelligent articulation of 
land and water transportation routes as related to the most advan- 
tageous use and distribution of the world’s products. The problems 
involved are so closely related to the merchant marine and to the 
development of navigation and terminal facilities that none of them 
should be considered independently of its bearing upon these 
important subjects. 
‘Ine 
ATa~ 
.ne- 
rts 
-I'Ce. 
vy of 
and 
nas 
rts, 
and 
the 
ito; 
cks, 
vith 
ca 
of 
ize