The sun., 1897-04-13
Our Merchant Marine.

In his speech advocating the revival OF
discriminating duties, to favor cargoes
brought from foreign ports in American
vessels, Senator ELKINs has called atten-
tion to some remarkable historical facts.
At the basis of his discussion Is the ex-
traordinary contrast presented between the
unparalleled progress of our country on
land and the actual retrograde in the last
thirty-five years of our transatlantic ship
ping. Yet, with 5000 miles of sea coast,
fine harbors, and abundant products, and
with Asia and Europe offering markets for
us on either hand, we have a superb posi-
tion for a merchant marine. We do, in
deed, sell and buy most literally in these
markets, but the trouble is that 1--WE pay
$500, coo day to foreign shipowners for
carrying the goods so sold or purchased.
More than a century ago JEFFERSON, then
Secretary of State, urged the value Of our
shipping both as q branch of industry, with
other branches depending upon it, and as a
resource of defence:
"In times OF ssn,rsl peace it mutipes oompetitors
for employment in transportation and keeps that
its proper level; and in times OF that say.
when those nations who may be our principal carri
shall be at war with each other. II we have not
within ourselves the means Of transportation,
produce must be exported in belligerent vessels.
the increased expense Of warfreight and insurance
and the articles which win not bear that must perish
hends- But 1t IL q resource OF defence that
our navigation will admit neither neglect for
besrance."
That argument comes home to US to-day;
yet any effort to regain the largest share of
our own foreign carrying trade must expect
ND ,.tn date pnl
those who now conduct most of that trade,
and profit by it. England especially, will
fight such project, for, as MIR. ELKINs says
"what agriculture is to the United States,
shipping is to England" :" and her states.
manship is largely occupied with main.
tanning her commercial supremacy on the
high seas. During our civil war the pres
ent Lord SALISBURY, then Lord ROBERT
CECIL, said In Parliament that "the North
0rn States Of America never can be our true
friends, because we are rivals; rivals polit-
ically, rivals commercially. We aspire to
the same position. We both aspire to the
government of the seas. We are both man.
ufacturing people, and in every port, as In
every court, we are rivals to each other"
That was said in 1862, and it is a curious
y
have ever had two millions of tonnage en-
ployed in the foreign trade. Our maximum
tonnage in that trade had been reached the
preceding year, 2,498, 1874, to which climax
It had risen from only half that amount,
1,25s,756, no longer before than $40. Then
1t turned and took the downward track It
has ever since pursued. 1t was 2,173, ,537
in 1852; 1t was 1929, $50 the next year;
and it dropped, dropped, until in 1886 it
had fallen to 1,Oss, ,O41, while In 1898 it
reached the minimum of s22,347. That
year, too, the number of our vessels in the
foreign trade was only 1,103, against 3,O87
even in the year 1868, when the English
built Confederate cruisers had already done
their ravaging work.
England has steadily kept in mind
RALEIGH's saying that "whosoever com.
mands the sea commands the trade who
soever commands the trade of the world
commands the riches of the world, and,
consequently, the world itself" In our
own country the First Congress encouraged
shipping by recognizing that the duties or
goods imported in American vessels ought
to be lighter than those imported in foreign
vessels. 1t borrowed this policy from Eng
lands own navigation laws, not repealed
until more than half century later
AMI the principle thus involved. it
has been remarked, was distinctly pro-
claimed in the first law Of the new Govern.
ment." Whether 1t would be wise now TO
impose an additional duty of / o per centum
al valorcm upon goods brought in foreign
Ships, as In the law of 1894. is a point on
which friends of American shipping seri-
ously differ. But we suppose there will be
lao questioning of the statement that up to
the foundation of our Government the for.
eign shipping trade was mostly in the hands
Of the British, while from 1894 TO 1928,
when discriminating duties were finally
abolished, nearly nine.tenths of it, on an