New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-12
WEST INDIAN COMMERCE.
SHALL THE AMERICAN FLAG BE FURLEDf
CONDITION OF THE CARRYING TRADE IN TH1
ANTILLES AND AMAS-CoMPETITIoN
WITH SUBSIDIZED LINEs-THE
TRUE AMERICAN POLICY.

TRUE AMERICAN POLICY
FROM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT on THE TRIsuSrJ
Nassau, y. T., Jan. 6.-This is the norhernmose
gateway of the large group of islands known from
the time OF Columbus the West Indies This
tropical archipelago, comprising the innumerable
coral reefs Of the Bahamas. the four Greater An
TILES and the Leeward and Windward groups Of
the Lesser Antilles. hanks one of the three Amer-
cas- and links together the other two The main
lines of communication between the United States
and the eighteen Southern republics represented
in the recent international conference at Washing
ton through the West Indies. St Thomas
is the coaling station and Barbados the last port
of call for steamships plying between New-York
and Brazil Vessels in the Venezuelan trade pass
between Puerto Rico and Santo Domingo. Havana
is the halfway station between New-YOrk and
Vera Cruz. Nassau. Santiago, Jamaica and the
ports of lfayti are not only in the track of steam
communication between New-York and the Colom
ban and Central American coasts, but also within
the lines OF NE vast expansion of intercontinental
trade that is destined to follow the completion of
the Nicaraguan Canal and the opening of direct
water route to Australia and the west coast Of
South America. If the three Americas are to
he brought into closer and more harmonious re.
lalOns in consequence of the international con-
ference and the reciprocity policy adopted by
the present Congress. there will he inevitably an
improvement of mail communications and devel-
opment of transportation facilities with the West
Indies. This makes a series of letters on the ey-
sting conditions of the carrying trade and the
prospects of reciprocity timely.
With the exception of IIayti, which is divided
into two autonomous native States, all the islands
forming the broken and irregular causeway that
connects the two continents belong to European
Ill
Of this intermediate territory, and France, Dem
mark. Sweden and the Netherlands the few re-
naming islands The flags of maritime Europe
are constantly seen in the waters Of the West
Indies and are kept there mainly through State
aid. OF the nineteen republics participating in
tie deliberations of the Pan-Amercan Conference
the United States alone competes with Europe
under its own flag for the control of the West
Indian trade. There five American stcam-
ship lines in these waters-a feeble and shabby
remnant of a commercial marine which was onco
the pride and glory OF all iankecdom. Two Of
these, the Pacific Mail and the Red ID lines make
no intermediate stops in the voyages 10 the Isth-
mus and Venezuela third the United States
and Brazil. calls at 81. Thomas, Martinique and
Barbados on the way to and from Rio and Santos.
This is the only direct connection under the Ameri-
can flag with the Lesser Antilles. with the single
exception OF turacOd Wnlcn is one OF Ihe Gazing
stations of the Red d line. The Clyde lines. with
five steamers, with regularity TO the ports Of
Iayti and Santo Domingo. The Nrw-Yorl and
Cuba Mail, in addition to the MEXICAN service
with four steamers ana a few tenders. has three
vessels in the direct line TO Havana and two more
in the south coast trade of Cuba. The last line
runs through the Bahamas, stopping at Nassau on
the way TO and from Santiago and Cienfuegos.
The West India service under the American flag
is practically restricted TO Cuba and Iayti and
five of the smaller islands. Jamaica and all the
other islands reached from American ports.
if at all, under foreign flags. There few
American steamers plying between Gulf ports and
the Caribbean coast of Central America. but the
bulk of this carrying trade is under the English
flag The north coast of Colombia, with the ex-
ccption of Colon, is brought into communicating
witL American ports by foreign lines.
II is important to note the conditions Of cons
petition and Government patronage under which
the American lines conducted The chief
rival of the Ward steamers in the Cuban trade
is an entcrprising and very extensive Spanish
company. which receives total subsidy of 81, 750.-
GOO per annum This bounty is distributed among
many branches of service, but every vessel of the
line plying between Npw-Yorlk and Havana re-
ccivcS somewhere between $500 and 5000 a
"trip. This the statement made 10 the Com
mittcc on Merchant Marine and Fisheries last
year by responsible witness. and il was not
called in question. Each of these rival vessels
receives for single voyage four times as much ~
is paid IN The Wards for the entire mail service
with the Bahamas. Cuba and Mexico in the
course Of year Lest this NAV seem an eXagger-
ation | quote the official figures. For the fiscal
year ending in 1se9 the amount paid 10
the American line for mail transporta-
lion T. the countries named was
81 l,l3S -. The Red Line. which is exposed
10 competition from the same Spanish company
rs well rs from two other subsidized lines in the
direct New-Iork trade. received during the sane
period the hcgcary sum of Sj.774 - for tri-
monthly service The Clyde lines for similar
service with IIayti and San,o Domingo were paid
81 GA Ia in sirac year.
These are facts which do not require much COM
mcnt. Foreign Governments to-day are heavily
subsidiling lines plying exclusively between New
York and the West Indies and the Spanish Main.
The effect of competition of this kind with Euro
pcan Treasury grants behind it will inevitably
lc destructive To the few American lines remain
iu- in the foreign carrying trade. The question
Is one that ought 10 excite patriotic feeling. Is
this foreign raing Of American cOmmcrce-the
renulnt of il that is still ahoat-to continue ia-
definitely without the enactment of defensive and
protective measures Tor the commercial marine5
In order 10 emphasize this point. let me add 10
the aggregate sum. SS.J2S - paid for mall trans
porIation To the three American companies Just
mentioned. Sl31?2 80 received by the Brazil Line
and s24.l60 81 by the Pacific Mail for the 18TH
mus service. and Si6.+ll 90 will represent the
amount OF money doled out from the richest Na-
tonal Treasury on earth in aid of the American
commercial marine of the West Indies Add 10
this once more the allowances made 10 American
steamers on the Pacific for the same purpose. and
the total sum paid in 1850 for the interest of the
American flag the high seas will be found TO
ba SlO9,S2s Compare with this aggregate the
Il .I-. R-iti l...,-n inrM Mns