The morning news., 1894-05-06
ON SEA AS ON LAND.
Mr.. c. A. GriSCOm Tells Of the Future
Of Our Ocean Trade.

Dream OF marine w WOnd6rS-Wn nat w
May Expect to See and Do, Afoat, in
Years to Come-The Matter ofSpeed.
These Are What Will Be Striven
For Now-Perhaps We Can Call Up
a Ship in Midooean By Telephone.
New York, May 5. 5.-Commerce makes a
nation great; lack of it makes it little.
The Importance and prosperity of every
nation under the sun except the United
states depends on its foreign trade. This
country would be great without that, it
is so big and full of resources itself; but
luckily it draws upon all lands besides,
and thus is not content with greatness,
but becomes the greatest.
For many years, however, the business
of our foreign trade-the carrying TO and
fro of passengers and merchandise-was
left to foreigners. Americas shipping
Ianguished and almost died away Now,
however. we have begun to control our
own again.
A wear ago the news dispatches sent out
from New York to all parts of the world
told how the American flag had been
raised over the great ocean steamships
New York and Paris, the two biggest and
finest vessels then In existence. The
raising of that flag was the sign of the
commencement of our new supremacy.
TTp TO that moment no important ocean
steamship had floated under the Amer
lean flag for thirty-siX years. Thus it was
an epoch-making instant
The law provides that no vessel not
built in America by American laborers
and of American materials shall have the
right to fly the stars and stripes. This
was passed with the idea of encouraging
home industries, of course, but it had the
unexpected effect of discouraging and
killing home shipping. Labor IN Amer
lea costs more than labor In the great
English and Scotch shipyards, and mate
rials are much more expensive. The
privilege of flying the American flag was
not financially profitable There was
only glory III it. So Americans went
abroad to have their ships built, and put
ting their patriotism into their pockets,
sailed under foreign ensigns.
HOW THE CHANGE CAME.
Some years ago, however. great line
of ocean steamships passed into the con-
troll of American capitalists. These men
saw that while shipbuilding was not
profitable here now, it only needed en-
couragement to become so, and they de-
cided to give it that encouragement
They petitioned congress for the right to
sail their two biggest ships, the Paris and
the New York. which were built abroad
under the American flag, promising in re-
turn for this privilege to have others
equally large and equally fine built in
America, according to the provisions of
the shipping law. 1t is to their credit
that they made this petition and it is to
the credit of congress that it was imme-
diately granted. Inasmuch as Mr.
Clement A. Griscom is the president of
the line that accomplished this feat and
was the prime mover in its conception
it is fair to say that he is the greatest
living American connected with trans
pOrtatiOn by water. This makes Mr.
Griscom a fit subject for interviewing in
this series, and makes whatever he may
say in regard to American shippings past,
present or future of Importance and inter
est.
GREATEST AMERICAN IN HIS LINE.
He is man nearly six feet tall, of
ruddy countenance, blue eyed, with
sweeping gray mustache. His face is
Drowned by the winds of many passages
across the ocean and his voice has the
heartiness of sea in it. He is as good
natured as the proverbial mariner is sup
posed to be, is full of good stories and has
manner that makes you want to call
him colonel His New York Offices.
connected as they are with the renais-
sance Of American shipping, are appro-
priately located in the midst of remind
ers OF the beginning of American pros
perlty They are in one of the old brick
0ulIdlngs-once private manslons-which
race Bowling Green and look down upon
the little grassy circle wherein stood the
leaden statue of King George, which Yam
kee patriots pulled down and melted into
outlets with which to shoot the
tyrant subjects of the tyrant King.
Around this circle is an iron fence, built
before the beginning of American indie
peadence. AT intervals of six feet or so
are heavy posts, which terminate at the
Top with irregular projections These
show where the ornamental iron balls,
with which the fence was originally gar
nlshed were broken off for use in Yankee
cannon A hundred yards away and around
Ine corner from Mr.. Griscom's Office is
Ine battery, once an important part of
New fork's defense, and now one of the
people S pleasantest pleasure grounds.
Inc locality was New York's center in
Ihe beginning. There were the banks
ana iorerunners of to-day's great mercan-
IAe enterprises, and there dwelt the old
arStocracy.
THE FUTURE.
What will be the future of American
oaWgatlon,n l asked MIR. Griscom the
2Iher day. about two hours after he
ships O'' 0'10 u MS ois
cl thoroughly believe" replied MIR.
1rlscom that America is well on her
way toward resuming her old and right
tu place among the maritime nations of
.ue world. American ingenuity and com
ulon sense is rapidly overcoming the OBJ
oldeleS that prevented her from keeping
IT, Inc cost of marine construction is
.dplaly being lowered here to a point
"nlch Will make shipbuilding in Amer
t5i Man yards profitable ] do not mean by
ms ms mat wages are being reduced, but
ouaI Uhe perfection of machinery is low
o5alng lhe cost of materials and that the
.utlonal cost of labor is partly over
, rouIe oy American excellence of work
NJ III was in 1856 that the United States
padcIlcaIly passed out of the transatlantic
Ifa5SSenger fs55 and freight carrying trade. In
b, bIo'f before the day of ocean navigation
XIII h. rsteaml the good ship Shakespeare,
G05t MA at the famous shipyards of Brown
SoI y PeII' was launched. She was of nearly
% 9G,, IONS burden, and could carry about
hV Gales of cotton. For a few years
I,s IIne was engaged in the Louisiana trade.
H.. TtC nnally made her initial voyage to
nlrsnneITpooi' nsneI There her beautiful lines, un-
e,9l asldl size and handsome decorations Gre
1'eu Verltable sensation