Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-12-13
OlJR FLAG ON THE OCEAN.


Are Unanswerabie by the Advocates Oh
Government subsidy.
Philadelphia toeord, Dscem Dor 4th.
The report of Mr.. Eugene II. Cham
berlain, Commissioner Of Navigation,
Just published, is most valuable official
document, 1t is replete with intorma-
ton in regard to The ocean carrying
trade OF the United States and OF all
other maritime nations. The commits
sioner's argument in favor OF free ships,
drawn from the official data, is unan-
swerable by the advocates OF subsidy.
10 the gross pretense that Great Britain's
supremacy in the ocean carrying trade
is due to a system of postal subsidies Is
opposed an overwhelming array OF
facts. In spite Of the truth that not
more than per cent OF the entire
British mercantile marlue receives gov
ernment aid in any form, the bounty
mongers of this country will continue
TO reiterate their story OF British steam
ship subsidy.
In regard to the real share of the
American merchant marine in the coun-
try's own ocean carrying trade TINS
document brings ample confirmation OF
the views OF the Record. From the
official figures OF the report the commits
sioner is warranted in the statement
"that American capital owns larger
tonnage OF iron and steel steamships in
foreign trade, under foreign flags, than
it owns under the American nag"
| Responses to the inquiries of the bureau
show that American citizens own the
majority interest in torty-One foreign
steel steamships, of 135, 459 tons, and III
twenty-three foreign iron steamships, OF
| 5S,6l0 tons. The total tonnage OF this
description under the American flag Is
| 1T5,363 tons; under foreign flags, l07, los
tons for the Atlantic and Gulf trade.
From New York and Philadelphia six
steamships under the American nag last
year crossed the Atlantic, and thirty
three steamships owned by American
citizens crossed the Atlantic under the
flags Of foreign nations. l...
Besides all this is the investment OF
American capital in chartered ships
plying under foreign flags to and from
ports of the Ualted States. The in
qutries of the Bureau of Navigation
have elected the facts showing the
charter of not less than 800 steamship.
under foreign flags by American citizens
Some of the charters are for long enough
periods "almust to constitute temporary
ownership" Many Norwegian vessel
in the fruit trade with the West Indie
are built to the order Of the American
cllartcrers, and belong to the American
merchant marine in all but the flag tina
covers them.
BY the repeal of the Navigation law
all this American shipping under forcigi
colors would be transferred to the fla
to which it actually belongs lnstea,
of covering a beggarly % per cent i
the country's ocean trade, the stars am
stripes would at once float over NOR
than double that percentage of shipping
Undes false system of registration
is made to appear that every bushel C
5 grain exported from New York
Europe last year was carried by
foreign ship. But the fact is .hf
American.owned vessels carried froi
, New York more grain than did til
! ships of any other nation except Gree
{ Britain. No less than nine foreign .bui
! ships carrying foreign flags and owne
by American citizens are engaged in I'll
J fruit trade with the West ladies. Th
is in addition to the numerous fleet {
foreign ships engaged in the same trad
4 chartered by American citizens.
f Ii Congress should pass resolutio
1 to admi; to American registry all IL
I, ships on the high seas now owned /
/ Americans the country's merchaI
Q marine would make very ditferei
Q exhibit BY such action not vess
!, the less would DO built in America
+ shipyards The navigation laws pr
: hibit registry, but they do no preve
J, Americans from buying foreign ship
: They do not encourage American shi
building, but they do swell the me
: chant marine Of other commerce
y nations at the expense and disparag
d ment of our own. How lung wi
Q narrow prejudice revail against II
S repeal of mischievous system of mar
1t time laws that has long since {
:, abandoned by every other civilizt
y country? Even the Chinese have con
n ut last to recognize the error of mai
!, tanning a policy which is utter
l. abhurrent to modern conditions of trad