Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-10-14
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Guar Relative Position ms n srasltimo
Power.


Now York Commercial Bulletin.
Mr.. +. @. Carpenter, in seriss o.
articles ON fast steamers, cheap freiehis
and ocean travel, in the Augusta (ua,)
Chronicle, which are attracting some ~
tention, nays
1t II wonderful how Great Britain owns
the ocean, and how she tnerehses het
auuatio,populatfon every year. III the days
81 sailing vessels she ralcd tho seas, ana
now hor steam whistles screeeh out the
prles Of the worlds freight market. Two
thirds Of the steam tonnage OF the world 10
carried under the British iingi and within
the pilst 10 years sie hiss iioreased the
anaSIiut Of her stOam Vessels 19l per cent,
.atfIeDhlted States has increased her tonnage
IA this time only por cent, and whnreiis In
1870 we had one-tbird us 1lany stennn yes
sels nv drent Britain. now WE hive only
ono-twelfth. or nl tbs grRt shipping
countries OF the world the United States
advances tho least. Ton years ago we had
at0nnage 1--WE timcs tls largo M Germany
nud tysicn az large as Frinee; to-day Ger
many has target stenm tonnage than the
United Stat0A, and Franco hns two.iiiths
mora vessels than we hAva The steam
merchant service of Great Britain, France,
Norway and Sweden, Itiiy, Spain, Holland
and Russia has Increased nj the rate OF
from 252 per cent during tho last decade
Tho United States alono rornains stationary
and all the world seems to DO feeding OIL %
her.
We are having great deal of this kind
Of writing just now, and we trust 1t vii
have tho desirable effect of touching th'
aensibilities of our oountrymen us regard
the present humiliating position of euI
country az q maritime power. II Is 40
30 much the reproach Of the people as til
government that the United States sion
remains stationary for at every session
of Congress- our shipping merchants hav
deluged that body with petitions for suol
measures of relief as will enable them t.
build and sail ships as they did in tornie
years at pFoft--nnd that, too, withou
extracting a dollar from the nationa
VI .-easury to help them carry on the busi
ness.
The C24Vaicle writer thinks 'it is won
derfulh how Great Britain retains pos
session of the Beas, but there is reall
nothing wonderful about it. Coinmere
follows the flag, and as there is scarcel
nook or corner of the earth accessible
by water with which England has nt
established, or is endeavoring to estaI
lisb, trade relations, her ships are nece
sarily ubiquitous. And there is no reahol
none whatever, why American enterpri
and American pluck, backed by Amerlci
capital and brains, should not achie'
similar results, by the adoption OF o pohi
calculated to promote international int
course and international exchange. b
in default of that adoption, it is idle
be doploring the insignifcance Of o
commercial marine and institutiDg odio
comparisons with that of other countrit
II our people or their government W
have it so, there is no remedy for 1t.
We remember that o year or two ait
the close of the civil wRr, a promine
member Of the House of Representative
OF one time chairman OF the Why's a
means committee, who had then just
turned from journey around the wor
describing his modification ut being co
PEELED 10 accept the services OF Brit
merchantmen or British gunboats in orr
TO work his way up the Peiho to the Q
nese capital. He complained that
English flag was everywhere, but that
his own country nowhere. On his ret
TO Congress he was full of the subj,
and his appeal to TINT body for such
formatory legislation as would restore
shipping to its former position abr
created q deep impression at the ii
closing with prophecy that in less
another quarter of q century all
would be so changed by wise legislat
under the quickening impulses Of q p
otto public opinion that the old
would again be as much at homo asi
formerly, in the China seas, the Ba
Bengal and the Mediterranean as il
on the Atlantic or the Gulf Of Mexico
II is needless TO say, though the qui
of o century has nearly elapsed,
prophecy is not fulfilled, nor is ii Ii
to be from the present aspect of thi
True, it has been possible to arouse
interest of Congress to the important
shipping legislation, but this has
reference only TO the construction
snowy and expensive war vessels,
which the country may never have
need while on the other hand, ever!
peal for revision of our antiqu
navipstinu laws end thu removal o
diaa 9iGtieb which AZ present iiseo'
Hs testament 81 capital ID marine
erty mas Ialien on Ieauen ears.
there is some encouragement in tn
that thoughtful minds, in the pres
keeping the question in view, and il
time, this must create healthfui OF
which will insist upon astAtesmaply
ton of it.