Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-09-21
oArrAIN copMAN,s nrrrnn.


NEW GoRK. Sept. l, lSD3--Ediiors Amefi.
c.dt Shlpbmtittcr: You do manifest injtis-
tice to others when you say that ! ami
probably the only seaman capable of
writing for the press in advocacy of free
ships Still you would be not far wrong
in saying that. with the exception of Capt.
Julius A. Palmer of Boston, Mass, who
has effectively welded his pen in this
cause, | am almost the only shipmaster
who has done what so many others are
capable of doing If they were as much
interested III the matter as they should be.
| am at loss to understood how an
American shipmaster. unless he is the
owner or part owner of the American built
ship that he commands, can for a moment
entertain views differing from this. If he
is in the position | have mentioned he
may naturally suppose that cheaper ves-
sells coming into competition with his own
could underbid him in freight and thus
injure his business. Aside from this one
would suppose thut shlpmasters like MEN
of all other professions and trades would
most of all desire employment.
II does not matter u pin to an engineer
who has machine in factory ii ii was
manufactured in England, belgium or
America; and member of the coaching
club does not feel himself disgraced if he
drives an English.built tally-ho through
the park. do not think Il is true that
American captains, as u rule, entertain
any such ridiculous notions which our in
terested domestic shipbuiIders call
patriotic" where employment in COM
mand OF ships is concerned. ON the con-
trary. many Of them, forced by circum-
stunces, do what should not like TO do
unless similarly compelled, for they do
not hesitate To take advantage of British
built, but American-owned ships under
the British flag.
1t cannot be agreeable to them to see
foreign ensign waving over their heads.
Nevertheless, their own government
obliges them to submit to this regime. 1t
is fact that there are more American
captains in the foreign trade sailing under
foreign flags than under their own. Many
OF them are as capable as Captain Palmer
aud myself of writing letters 10 news
papers and unlike us they are personally
interested in this crusade. II is in a great
degree their own fault that they are
Obliged to pose as British subjects instead
of American citizens. | wish for their
own sakes for the sake of our commercial
marine and of the country. that they
would sometimes drop the marline spike
and take up the pen.
You know what my opinion of the
American shipbuilder is. | do not refer
to your newspapers name, but to the pro.
tected American shipbuilder, protected not
like other beneiiciaries of the tariff BY per-
centages, but protected by absolute pro-
hibition; and yet her Chief Naval Con-
structor Hichhorn has the boldness to say
in the North american Review for April that
while every other industry has received
encouragement and support through a pro.
tected tariff, that of shipbuilding has been
left to take care of itself. What mere in
addition to their present advantages do the
Sh1pbuilders wanJm
In my letter TO the New York World
(noticed by you), may be found this sig
nlficant sentence from letter written by
Hon. James Denny of Dumbarton: Il
can't say from my point of view that
am anxious for the passage of your
lreeship bill. 1t might do us good
for a year or two il that were all we
have TO look to; but / have always
held that when your people begin TO own
ships. they will not be far removed from
building them" | fully agree with him
and conscientiousiy assert, with an abso-
Lutte conviction of its truth. that had our
restrictive navigation laws been repealed
~ years ago, the United States today
would have been hegreatest shipbuilding,
as well as the greatest shipowning, nation
on the globe. That this has not come 10
pass is owning solely and entirely TO the
strange influence that our domestic ship.
owners have exercised hitherto over Con-
EreSS. JOHN CODMAN