New-York tribune., 1889-11-15
A N4IIONAL ISS[E.

| The approaching session of Congress is await
ed with feeling of buoyant hopefulness by
all friends Of the American merchant marine
The President is known to entertain progress
sive views respecting the extension of foreign
commerce under the National flag, and it is
confidently believed that he will recommend in
his message large and enlightened measures
for accomplishing that end. From the replies
of Republican Congressman to the direct in
ouirieS addressed to them by our Washington
Bureau, it is evident that three-ffths of them
are already heartily in favor of legislation for
the restoration of the merchant marine, while
the remaining two-fifths are simply unpTepared
to commit themselves prematurely to that pol
icy. 1t is reasonable to conclude that positive
recommendations from the Executive will be
taken up with substantial unanimity by the Re-
publican majority. 1t is also probable that
many Democrats as public-spirted as Mr..
Cummings, who enthusiastically supports this
policy, will be prepared to throw the weight
of their influence in favor of any broad and
enlightened scheme for restoring the flag to the
seas. The prospect for vigorous winter cam
paign in favor of American shipping interests
is most encouraging.
Legislation that will aim to compass perma-
nent and satisfactory results will naturally fol-
low the lines which have been pursued by other
maritime nations in building up their CONNER
cial marines at the expense of the American
carrying trade. More liberal payments for
ocean mail transportation must be authorized
in order to enable American steamship lines
to compete with foreign lines, which are partly
+oI ~ This will ba tho baUin-
ming of a new policy; but other and more di-
rect methods of encouraging the building OF
ships and the resumption of the carrying trade
must also be adopted. A scheme for prOvid-
ing tonnage premiums or bounties for every
1000 miles sailed may be necessary in order
to attract capital and stimulate enterprise.
The precise conditions under which these ton
mage premiums shall be offered it would be
premature to define; but it is reasonable to
conclude that the measure must be a large
one, and must cover period of at least fif-
teen or twenty years. France, Germany, Italy
and other nations have adopted this system on
large scale and for long periods; and the
United States in order to compete with them
will be compelled to make similar application
of the principle. The English system of grant
ing, not only mail subsidies, as in the case Of
the new Vancouver line, but also reserve pay
ments for vessels that in an emergency can
be converted into transports or cruisers, may
be introduced advantageously as practical
method of building up an auxiliary navy as
well as a commercial marine.
Two general propositions should be main
tanned if the work Of restoring the flag to the
seas be seriously undertaken. First, measures
must be adopted that will aim at the creation
Of permanent commercial marine, under steam
and SAIL rather than at the temporary relief
of the remnant of tsrlt marine that is now
struggling for existence and rapidly perishing
from sheer inanition. Secondly, the aid and
encouragement that are fforded must be so lib
eral as to accomplish adequate rather than
tentative results. Small measures affecting a
few existing steamship lines will merely in
volve waste of money. The whole question
needs to be lifted out Of the trammels and
grooves of private interests and elevated to the
broad plane of high National policy. The OBJ
ject in view should not be the narrow one Of
rendering the stock of few corporations more
remunerative than it now is 1t should be
nothing less than the creation in the near
future of commercial marine that will carry
the flag into all seas and develop American
trade with all countries. For accomplishing a
result so magnificent half-hearted, closely cal
culated and inadequate measures will be utter
ly unavaling. A large and permanent policy
is needed commensurate with the objects to
be secured.