The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-18 00:00:00

AUGUST 18, 1870.

THE WAR AND AMERICAN INTERESTS.
The war in Europe has been looked upon by many as
furniShing the United States an opportunity for the re-
covery of her lost maritime rank. The opportunity, how-
ever, according to the free-trade theorists, has been hope-
lessly lost, by the failure of Congress to authorize
the transfer of foreign merchant-marine to our flag.
While readily comprehending hoiv our commerce may be
benefited by the withdrawal of French and Prussian ton-
nage from competition in the carrying trade, we fail to see
how the measure alluded to would be likely to work to
our advantage. We fail to see it because at the
present time with our tonnage so much smaller
than in the prosperous days of the past we have yet
more than we can find profitable employment for.
Many are disposed to think that the immense gain
which was made by British tonnage during our own war
through the purchase of vessels from the United States
was Fa serious misfortune to us as a maritime country,
entailing a severe loss upon individual shipowners, which
•is Jaof be compensated for by :flowing them to
pu •";:xstiipa abroad. But on a review of
tb,e ;vviioln ground, it may w:all be doubted
whet er the almost enforced transfer of so large
a pal of our tonnage to foreigners was an unmixed
evil. `-"it was disposed of generally at good prices and at
a tiniejvhen we had really no use for it. And we doubt
if anyghipowner who took that course has since regarded
his action as unfortunate. The country certainly has no
reason to complain at the exchange of unproductive and
deteriorating property into gold ; and when we recollect
how depressed the shipping interest was at the close of
the war, and has been since that time, and how much
worse our position must have been if the vast amount of
transferred tonnage had been left idle upon our hands,
we may almost congratulate ourselves upon the fact that
the favourable opportunity was so freely availed of.
Until, therefore, the desirable consummation shall have
been; reached when freighting shall be profitable and our
ships occupied, to what good end should we hasten to
enlarge our marine from foreign sources ? The actual
withdraw4,—if it -should come to that,—of the 611,000
tons of the Prussian vessels and the 96,000 tons of the
French iessels, which cleared at our ports last year,
would be very likely to affect our own shipping favourably,
as that source of competition will then have disappeared ;
but should we at once absorb it under our own flag it is
difficult to see wherein the advantage to our present
shipping interest would be likely to accrue. It may be
said that the cheapness of the vessels which might
be procured under the present circumstances would
enable us to sail them at a greater profit, but that
consideration, while ignoring the interests of the tonnage
already owned in the country, is not peculiar to the state
of war under which the change in our laws is especially
urged, but might even better have been urged in
time of peace, when those vessels were more
really our competitors in the business of the
world. The settled policy of the country, however,
has long been in fayour of encouraging our own
shipbuilders, at least to the extent of excluding foreign
vessels from the benefit of our flag, and the present war
certainly adds no strength to the reasons for a change.
Our shipbuilding interest needs greater encouragement
rather than total extinction, and it would be better and
doubtless more for the true interests of the country to
remit all taxes upon it, and even to grant adequate
subsidies, than to suffer it to die out entirely. The latter
course would not only deprive the country of the taxes
now imposed upon the materials which are used in
the business of shipbuilding, but would sweep away
a vast and important industry which no country
could afford to spare. Why should the pro
duct of foreign, capital and labour be allowed admis-
sion into the country, without the payment of taxes
or contributing anything to the support of the Go-
vernment, while our own capital and labour are
weighed down by taxes in every direction ? If
foreigners are to be allowed to compete with us
in our own markets, our own artisans should at
least be placed on an equal footing with them,
and when that shall have been done, no further
favours will be asked from the Governmrnt. The present
war, if continued, will doubtless have an important
bearing upon our maritime interests, and if it shall be the
means of fully employing our present tonnage, we doubt
not that our shipbuilders will see to it that our commerce
does not suffer for want of vessels.—Boston Advertiser.