New-York tribune., 1879-11-13
THE Decay or AMEsIcAY SHIPPING.

Il
The forthcoming report of the Bureau OIL
Statistics, extracts from which are printed on
another page this morning, presents an i'm
prcssive picture of the rapid progress of the
immense foreign trade of the United States.
The exports mount up higher and higher
year by year. and more than compensate
for the falling off in imports. so that the ag-
gregate trade increases steadily. The total is
now so great that the United States ranks
among the three or four leading commercial
nations of the world. During the last fiscal
year there was balance of 5000, 100000 in
favor of the United States, n most gratifying
fact Hard times could not long withstand
the beneficial influences of such favorable
balances as this, and it is no wonder that
ship loads of gold have been pouring into the
country of late, and have done their share
toward quickcning the industry and business
of the whole land.
There is only one dark spot in the picture
of our foreign trade, as presented by the
report of the Bureau of Statistics, and this Is
due 10 the facts about our shipping. Few
people are aware how rapidly our shipping in
the foreign trade is decayinS. Senator Blame
recently uttered some eloquent words on TINS
subject to the merchants of New-YOrk. and the
figures which are now published add fresh force
to his arguments. Time was when American YES
sells carried fOuI-ffths of the goods entering into
the foreign trade of this country. But what
proportion did they carry this last fiscal year
Only % per cent; and OF the exports, they ac-
tually carried only II per cent. This is strange
and lamentablc fact. The most singular part OF
it is that American ships actually carried less
than they did twenty-five years ago. Trade
has grown from q total Of S641, 10000 In
1856 to total of 81. .1s3. 100000 last year
almost double; but American ships carried in
1856 goods valued at $4S2 100000, and in
1s7S-79 only $272, 100000 worth. Trade
grows year by year, but American navigation
decays steadily. This is the discouraging side
OF our foreign commerce to-day.
Another interesting fact is that the COM
mcrce of the United States is now so large
that if 20 per cent Of ii could be secured FOR
American ships this country would have as
large q merchant marine as Great Britain.
Ii is toeraby clear, however, that America
will be compelled to fOrego the possession of
so great marine so long as she tries
to secure ocean trade with sailing ships
and leaves to Europeans the profitable employ
mcnt Of steamships. The steamship has already
superseded the sailing vessel in many of the
great trades of the world, and is destined TO
supplant it in others II will soon be carry
ing even petroleum. Guano and similarly
cheap and bulky products, as it Is
already carrying nearly everything else which,
twenty-1v years ago, people predicted would
never be carried In steam vessel. The
United States dsregards this fact. and
continues to compete for ocean trade
with her sailing ships. OF course. she
fails even to hold her own III the
competition. If she is TO restore the ancient
prestige of her merchant marine, she must
find some way to cover the sea with fleets of
American steam shipping and American built
shipping too.