The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1882-10-07
Americas Commercial Marine.

Al0eFAcsA,s SOHaAHfaeFcfaaA NHRFAsaSs
New York Sun.
The Hon. Perry Belmont has ad-
dressed to James Parker, secretary of
the American Shipmasters' associa.
tion, letter coucerninga eommnnica-
tion sent by Mr. Parker to tho joint
committee of congress appointed to
inquire into the condition and wants
of American ship-building and ship
owning interests. Mr.. Belmont sug-
gests that the problem of internal
transportation is so far advanced that
the problem OF external transportation
may now receive a candid hearing,
and adds:
Three questions, it seems to me,
stand at the threshold of an inquiry
respecting the possible appearance of
the American flag on tho ocean. VIII
it be useful in an industrial as well as
in a military sense to the national
welfare to promise the re-establish-
ment of all American commercial
marine Can congress do anything
to hasten or bring about that result,
either by the enactment Of wise laws
or by the repeal of bad ones, or in
any other way9 Is it not worth while
for congress to make an effort now in
that direction ?"
In the opinion of Mr.. Belmont this
country should not be content with
delivering its surplus products and re-
ceiying its imports at the waters edge,
and he thinks that the producing and
manufacturing, west and southwest
especially, cannot afford to see the
ocean transportation of its surplus pro-
ducts and manufactures solely ip the
control of foreign interests. He writes:
Il have recently heard it said in
congress that the existing national
system of taxation of imports, which
is in effect a payment of bounties and
subsidies to American manufacturers
by the American coBsumeFs of those
imports, is to be vindieated as war
measure in time of peace, for the fol
lowing reason: That by the epcour-
agement given through such taxation
to the establishment and perfection
of certain manufacturing industries
the nation would be better enabled to
live within itself should complications
with foreign powers ever arise to make
that necessary. But may it not be well
for the west and southwest to reflect
in good time and prepare fora possible
condition of things when, in a general
war between the great commercial
powers of Europe, the American flag
may be respected by all the combat
ants, and American vessels may be the
only vehicles for the safe ocean trans
poPtation of American merchandise
under the immunity of international
law which would give security to
neutral cargo, not eontraband of war,
under neutral tiag2 Or, in case we
are not to be neutral bystanders, but
aggressive or defensive combatants on
the oceans, whence viii come the mate
rial to man the armed cruisers of the
Union if we are to abandon the COM
merciaI carrying trade for America to
EugIishmeu, Frenchmen, Germans,
Scandinavians, Spaniards and Italians.
Can trained and experienced seamen
be suddenly extemporzcd when the
emergency arriyes|
In conclusion, Mr.. Belmont eX-
presses the hope that the congressional
inquiry may be $50 impartial and
that voters of all sections,
Democrats and Republicans, Free
traders and monopolists, may feel that
the country has before it the needed
facts on which it can safely base an
opinion respecting the questions sug-
gested."