Evening star., 1897-04-09
A N ERlCAN SHIPPING
The Attempts to Secure Legislation Favor
able to its Advancement.
Opinions Presented by Mr. Chas..
Chairman Griscom'. Statement.

AT the meeting which was held yesterday
in the room OF the senate committee on
commerce by persons connected with ship
ping interests of the United States for the
purpose OF securing legislation favo-ah hle TO
shipping, MIR. Charles Cramp OF Philadel-
phia made address
Mr.. Cramp said that the enormous rev
enue represented by the freight and pas-
senger tolls on our commerce ana travel is
constantly drained out OF this country into
British. German and French pockets while
the vast industrial increment represented
by the necessary shipbuilding inures al
most wholly TO Great Britain. He held this
10 be the principal cause Of the existing
hnancial condition of the United States.
and said that until means were taken 10
Keep part of the $3H.N0.en annually
absorbed by foreign shipowners no good
times could come. For its exports the
United States paid the foreign market price
less the freight, and for imports the foreign
price plus the freight. The two greatest
dependencies of Great Britain were the
United States and India, but the United
States was the greatest because the drain
age OF gold from the United States to
Britain was greatest. Speaking OF Eng
lands navy, Mr. Cramp said that since lssST
she had expended s5i7, ,oa."a for war
ships and armament. had augmented her
force from a2Go to l@,.n. and In 1876
added 1,3So.Wo of new steel steams hipping
to her merchant fleet. England would
crush any other national aspiration toward
sea power by intrigue and treaties II she
could; by force IL she must.
EnRland's Methods.
He continued: Ever since two first-class
American ships were put in the transat-
lantic trade under American management
every device of foul play that selfish In
genuity can invent and every resort that
INSCRIPTIONS rivalry can suggest have been
exhausted by the English press and the
English administration to defame and dis
credit them.
EGglish officials abroad from ministers
and consuls down, industriously reproduce
In the newspapers of Japan. China. Chile.
Argentina and Brazil the misstatemcnts of
the English press about American vessels.
"rhe British post office delays :he Amer
lean mails for days to send them by the
slower ships Of the Cuuard line rather than
send so much as one letter by the Ameri-
can line. Our lost office responds by nb-
eral ailotments OF its European mails to all
the British lines.
ITO the English estimates for the current
year increase of her navy. amounting 20
eleven millions nine hundred and five thou
sand pounds. and a program involving lbs
new ships. In all stages between laying
down and completion. the United States
responds by sudden halt I'm even the COM
paratively feeble program fitfully pursued
since 1852 and fiat collapse OF the policy
OF the new navy a whole"
He announced that he was in favor of
either a bounty system or discriminating
outy system. whether by reduction from
regular tariff rates in favor of cargoes
brought in American ships by increase
OF duties on cargoes brought in alien ships.
Ex-senator Edmunds.
Ex-senator Edmunds who was present as
legal adviser. took prominent part in the
proceedings of the day. his opinion being
called for at various times He was asked.
among other things. IL the discriminatina
duties proposed in the Elkins bill would
not be in violation of treaties with many
foreign powers. and replied that they would
be- He said. however. that the treaties
could be abrogated by law, by the passage
OF a joint resolution giving a years notice
70 tue government with which the treaties
had been made.
Ihe day was. however. devoted more m
general discussion rather than to an ef-
Tort 10 reduce conclusions to CONCRETE
form.
Much of the talk was on the lines OF
adopting a policy which would unite ali
political parties in support of some measure
which would result in keeping at home
the S3oo.oooo which il was declared is
now annually paid out to the owners of
foreign vessels for carrying American
goods.
Chairman Grfscom's Statement.
At the conclusion Of the meeting Chair
man Griscom gave out the following sta:e-
ment in regard to it:
The decadence of the merchant marine
of the United States engaged in the for
eign carrying trade has caused wide
spread anxiety throughout the nation and
conference was convened I'm Washington
in January last of leading shipbuiders and
shfpowners and others who have given this
subject consideration I'm the past
After a general discussion a committee
was appointed to consider this serious ques-
tion, and to unite. IL possible. upon a pol
Icy to recommend to the government
remedy for the existing situation.
THE committee has had different ses-
sions. has retained Mr.. George F. Ed
munds as its counsel. and is carefully ex-
amining the courses of the decline of this
important interest in this country and
the means adopted by the maritime ma
tions of the world TO promote ana foster
carrying trade under their respective flags
and the committee hopes. I'm a short time
to present bill which will receive gem
nj