The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-15
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
A Plea for the Upbuilding of
Our Merchant Marine.
COL. 6. W. BELLS ADDRESS.
The United States Consul az sydney, y.
8. W., Points Out What This
Country Is Missing.

Col. G. W. Bell. United States consul al
I Sydney. N $. w. delivered an address
last nsght in the Chamber OF Commerce.
In which ne made a strong plea for the
upoul1ing or the American merchant ma
rine. especially for immediate development
a. American trade with Australia. A rep
resentatiye audience listened TO him at
tentyely for nearly two hours He was
introduced by President 8. o. Graves. OF
the Chamber of Commerce. who al the
close OF the address thanked the speaker
warmly in behalf OF the chamber and OF
the audience.
Col. Bell. after a few preliminary re-
marks. advanced 70 the position that the
civilization OF any nation is measured BY
Its commerce. and ne found an Illustration
or his thesis in the present unparalleled
commercial activity OF the great nations
of the world. predicting al the same time
that while this age is the greatest and best
the world has known. il is but the dawn
OF brighter da~. He gave as another il
lustration the nations OF ancient and medi-
eval history. whose civilization and pros
verify endured only as they were animated
by the spirit OF commercial greatness
Taking present day facts he Instituted a
striking comparison between Russia and
Australia. Russia" he said. with 49,
Vo9ev people. exports and imports about
one hundred and Twenty-Five million
pounds sterling. while Australia with 4.ooo.-
CO people exports and imports even
greater amount. To show that civilization
and commerce correspond. Russia. with
her l25,0o0,0oo people. has 800 newspapers.
while Australia's 100000 people have also
500 newspapers. The superficial thinker
might claim that our country would not
present favorable appearance under that
theory. but as fact. while Europe is the
greatest commercial people according TO
the DOCKS. II you would enumerate what
Europe imports and exports. it would be
seen that American ranks among the
greatest commercial peoples. Further. the
United States Is equal IN area 10 Europe.
Europe has twenty states and America
forty-fve. II all goods coming into each
OF our states were imports as in Europe.
and all going out exports as in Europe.
our people would rank as BY far the great
est commercial people on the globe"
IN the same way the speaker explained
that the apparent commercial superiority
of England over the United States was
due largely 10 the fact that many COM
mobiles imported into England are again
exported In changed form, thus figuring
in the list of both imports and exports.
Speaking OF the general financial depres-
sion, he secuted the theory OF overpro-
duction as a fundamental fallacy. 1t is
true" said he. that there are SURPRISES
everywhere, but there are also deficiencies
everywhere. Now IL our system of ex
our system of production that every sur
plus could be moved TO where the de-
ficiencies are over the exceeding surplus,
they would disappear before a new crop
could be raised. Remember that under
our present industrial system Il requires
mora people to move and exchange prod
uetS than TO produce them. Ii is further
claimed that with modern methods
larger number of people are necessary 10
for ha nf q
before. This is unphiiosophical. Mans
wants increase with his ability 10 buy. and
the higher the wants the more labor Ii
requires 10 supply them. From the very
nature of our being our wants can never
be supplied, and there never can come a
tima when it will not require the whole
industrial class 10 provide for the whole
community"
Speaking of the recent commercial
awakening throughout the world. he gave
some interesting figures about the COM
merce of the Pacific. which he said babe
fair TO fulfill Stewards prophecy that the
center of the worlds activity was 10 be
In the lands bordering on the Pacific. He
spoke of this vast and growing trade with
a view TO inauiring whether America
could not secure a larger share than the
meager percentage which she now con-
trolls. As an instance OF the poSs Utilities
in store for American commerce on the
Pacific he mentioned the trade OF Austria
liza LAS fact" said he. eve have less
than per cent. OF Australia,s trade and
less than "a per cent. OF the trade OF
sydney. Remember. In time end distance
our country Is but little more than half as
for from Australia as our European riv-
ais WHY have we not more OF the trade?
/ Will tell you. We have no means OF get
ting there. OF about 2.io0 entries and de-
partures OF steamers in Sydney there are
but elrht entries and departures OF Amer
lean steamers. There are fourteen steam
ship lines running between Europe and
Australia. and one small steamer per
month plying between the United States
and Australia. II would require 40 such
steamship Ines as ply between san Fran
cisco and Sydney to carry Sydney's ton
mage The steamship lines running be-
tween Europe and Australia are heavily
subsidized. the English lines receiving
$500 600 year. the French line over $780,
600 a year and the German lines over
81 900 900 a year. There must be total OF
fully 100000 dollars per year paid in aid
OF the several lines running 10 Australia
from Europe. Our people cannot meet
this competition. On principle our people
may be opposed TO subsidies. but the high
est principle Is the advancement of Amer
.ca's interest and the perpetuatlon OF
American institutions. We are opposed
10 subsidies and yet We pay TO foreign
ship owners $3.50. 900. 900 a year for carrying
our goods 10 the points OF competition.
IL we would suhs.dize American ships 10
the extent OF ner cent Of what we pay
foreign ship owners for carrying our
goods, a grander commercial marine than
ever was known would soon arise. In
surrendering the ocean We surrender the
force without which no nation ever be-
came great: We surrender an industry
that would give employment TO every Idle
man IN America. and We surrender that
security which every patriotic American
citizen should demand from his govern
rnent. We must have a more extensive
trase abroad. We have demonstrated The
srspossibllires OF consuming American
products at home. and we can only get
abroad successfully by owning the means
OF transportation"
C,l Bel sharply criticised Americans
enr not studying the precise needs OF for
eIgn markets and the tastes OF foreign
buvers and In this connection he gave
puget sound lum5ermen some nuts 70
crack. The decadence OF the American
merchant marine be ascTibed largely 10
the internal development with which the
United States has been occupied for
generation: hut he held that the time was
now rtpe and the demand imperative for
a raas4ertlon OF that sway which this
country once held on the ocean. He ad-
vocated the construction 81 the Nicara-
qua canal. concerning which he has for
merry spoken IN this city. and gave a
rsa~Sn for the faith that was n him
Co Bell arrived IN San Francisco July
81 after a tventy-four days voyage from
sydney. and has delivered addresses IN
that city, Portland and Tacoma. He goes
from Seattle 70 New York and Wash
lngton City. and vii return 20 BIS post