The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-01

Our ksts-boilOms, il is well KNOWN carry much lar
ger cargoes than ships Of the size belonging TO
other countries, under our system Of measurement.
Let sailors rights be properly respected under
free trade-revenue-tSrif and with the advantage OF
such coasling trade as we have exclusively secu-
red to vessels covered by flag, we shall cast into
the shade every ocean rival:
.r.. FROM The PLris Prssse
"Our relations with our colonies OF Bourbon, Gui.
ana, Martinique, and Guadaloupe, have CONTINUED
nearly unchanged. In 1889 our commerce wIlh
those colonies employed 1865 ships IN the year 1884
there were 754 employed. The difference Is but
trivial. There has been a remarkable increase In our
intercourse with Algeria. The merchant ships en-
ployed in trading with that colony have increased
from 1913 employed in the year 1889, TO l,615, the
! number engaged IN the same trade IN le4i IL was
by adding those results together that the commits
soners Of customs arrived at the conclusion that the
year Is4i presented AN increase of 10 per cont.
compared with the year ls43, and Of ~ per cent,
over the year 1893. But this maniief OF combining
figures is vicious and gives an erroneous view OF the
state Of our commerce. Ii is not because greater
number Of ships have been engaged In voyages not
exceeding sixty hours between France and Algerin,
that our merchant navy Is progressing That navl-
cation furnishes no school for producing seamen. II
should rather be included in the returns relative to
the coasting trade. We feel very little interest IN
the increase Of shipping employed in 50 limited
! and so insignificant career. The only conclusion
we can draw rom thin fact Is, that our merchants,
finding no employment In distant seas, are Obliged
to seek occupation In this tifihs coimerce, the in
crease Of which ought, therefore, TO be subject Of
regret, rather than subject Of congratulation. We
see in fact that in our great fisheries for example,
the number Of ships employed IN 1883 was ,O63,
whilst in 1874 they were reduced to eI9 and this
occurred, let il be remarked in our reserved nayga-
- Hal fh.Sa in
this branch Of trade, not in consequence Of foreign
competition, but because Of an internal decline,
which does not suffer US follow other nations In
their progress even TO maintain ourselves at the
point to which we have reached. This Is an alarm
ing symptom. II we pass from the reserved navi-
CATION TO the navigation OF competition, matters do
not present more favorable aspect Criite the con-
trary. In 1889 the French ships figured in the nav
igaton of competition to the number of 10 SOL in
1914 they amounted to only s,423-being diminu-
ton Of 20T6 ships. This is the strange manner in
which we improve.
'sIt cannot be pretended that the increase in the
number Of ships employed between France and Al
gera compensate for the incredible decline which
appears in the shipping employed to compete with
those sailing under foreign flags in the principal seas
of the globe. IL We examine the tonnage, we find
the same tendency and the same results. For the
French colonies It's nearly staonary--lsl,O 600 tons
in 1899, to 1873, 600 tons in 1o44. In the great she-
ries il declines in a rapid progression-l40O 600 tons
in 1889, to 200 in 1874. In the navigation oil
composition, the decrease is still more considerable
939 900 tons in 1889, to only I'll 900 in 1874. We
shall now take a view Of the navigation of competi-
ton, and in what proportion ships can com
pete with foreigners in distant seas. Our maritime
commerce with Russia is carried on in the Baltic
and the Black In the Baltic the French flag, in
the year 1914, covered 26 per cent of the tonnage
employed to "a per cent covered by foreigners. In
1888 we covered AZ per cent In the Black sea, in
the last year, we most modestly covered but per
cent to 90 secured by foreigners. In the year 1889
we possessed per cent. With Sweden we have in
creased slightly in 1874 compared with 1889. In the
latter year our flag covered per cent; in 1874,
per cent. With Norway we lad per cent in 1899
| as in ls44. With Denmark We possessed per
cent. in 1889 and only per cent in 1874. With
England "a per cent. in 1885, and only Is per cent.
| in lS44. With the German Union 6 per cent. III
! 1899, and 7per cent. in 1874. With Mecklenburg
Sehwerin per cent. in 1899, 5 per cent. in ts44
cent. in 1874. With Belgium SO per cent in
1899, and but % in the year 1914. With
Spain 40 per cent. in the year 1885, and 36 in
1874. With Austria l6 per cent, in 1889, and only
in 1874. With the Sandman States in 1899, ~
per cent in 1914, 81 per ccn--lhe only increase
in 1899, and but 10 in 1844 With Turkey So per
cent. in 1899, and 43 in 1874. Thus, with the ex-
cepton of Sweden and Sardinia the tonnage covered
| by our flag has everywhere in Europe decreased
These are not mere assertions, they facts. The
official proofs, unfortunately, under our eyes. Be.
yond Europe have the same results to declare, a,
least in our relations with countries which possess
merchant navy Thus, in North America, the
United States possess % per cent, and leave us s.
In 1889 our portion was II. With Mexico we have
declined from % in 1889 to SO in 1S45. With
Egypt we have fallen from 81 in 1889 to so in lS44
| With the British East India settlements we have
fallen from SO in 1899 to 81 in 1874. 1t is useless
to extend our calculations further. If the French
nation does not comprehend 10 what result such a
course will lead and fpubIic attention is not direct
ed to find remedy for it, must despair of the
understanding Of the country, and renounce that
prosperity which the nation had promised itself"