New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-21
FRENCH SHIPPING WAVES.
RINE THREATENS IT'S TOTAL
EXTINCTION.
Conflicting INTERESTS OF sHIPBUuDERs. OWN
Frs AND MERcHANTs-R REMEDIES PRO
rosED-ToREIGN SAILORS OK FRENCH
SHIFTS AND FREE PORTS


rosED-ToREIGN SAILORS OK FRENCH
sInrs AND FREE PORTS.
Paris, November9 Q.
The decline of French shipping Is assuming pro-
portions which threaten National disaster. Re-
ports from the Chambers OF Commerce Of liavre.
Marseilles Bordeaux. Nantes and Dunkerque indl-
cate that unless some unhoped-for Improvement
takes place the French lag except in the cases
NJ vor,hps and steamers receiving large subsidies
from the Government. will before lorg disappear
from, Tho ocean. VI. Charlcs-RouS. in his compre-
hersiye repor. 10 the Budget Committee OF the
Ministry Of Commerce. discloses the fact that the
merchant marine Of France remains almost sta
,onary while those Of other nations increase
steadily and rapidly In 1857 the merchant steam
ers Of the four leading maritime countries oil h"-
rome excluding vessels under one thousand tons
were represented follows England o''-'E' tolS'
France 7222j2: Germany. 62S.2g6; Norway. l5oos''
AZ that time France occupied the setoh" '""h' ~
1895 tie situation stood rs follows: Enelahu ''>l
$50 tons: Germany 500 III; France sSi'N' Norway.
1,5Sl7 That is TO say, while France gained It-''fo
ions England gained 33sl,'Si; Germany o'''''' "'
Norway S0i62S Moreover. not less imam % pei ''"'
Of the French merchant steamers aioat 'o-uaS arc
from ten to forty years old, and the rie''n '',r
buding wards are practically deserted III ls''' io'
,rs,orco only two merchant steamers, measur'"F
,ogetber GO0 tons were under constructor III
France and during the same year '"' > '
steamers representing "A total OF "'o'V ''"'' w.
built In Germany. while the BRUSH s"'p'"'"'' "
spite of strikes turn out more TONNAGE ." W."
than is built in France in year. The statSu'S "a
the Suez Canal show that during the year low ''''
e,s Erench vessels including mcn-ot-w'I' P'SSc"
through the canal while OF other natohah'eS
there were not los1 than 2l63 BRUSH s"'PS' %
German and 25O Italian. In less than Twelve "o''.'
as regards the Sucz Canal irailc. fra''' '""'
foil from tho second rank TO the fourth Pos','o"
,.J i,x
etIon OF the French ports IS also 'IIuO"" ''
.oil,es is losing TO the profit OF Genoa iArS' POI
ton of the shipping that hitherto caHc' al ''"''
keroue now goes TO Antwerp ana "'N'''
e. increasing at the expense OF IiA''c'
Tho ,otol NJ ool Coz tons OF French merchant snip
ming under the French nag In lNc shruhK III ''''
the latest date Cor which siatSu,s arr
oomnilod-to less :han 10000 tons. Ff'h'h '"'
goes already swell the carrying uII' q, t,,T -
Britain and Germany. ana an oNn.PI, d,,,in, ono
Year into France from Galveston MOI .iE'' r rH"
Of which was conveyed ~ rr'ny ,errss aTc shown
Nv the ot1cal reports to be In an almost desperate
condition ,,,..r,-
As regards time OF construction and price the
,,.o,oh builders cannot begin to compete with the
ho, R-i,isb German or italian establishment.
rba COS, ia from 30 TO 3cr cent greater ~ FRANCE
than elsewhere. 1t is customary Tor f'ht"'" VI
Scotch firms to deliver steamships IN seven "'0"'"S
n, +, coat OF 500 80 each. for when ff'n'h Dun"
orc would ask Sj.DOJD and require twenty months
70 comrIctc I'm reference 10 repairs. lh' roWplt-
con Is s'ill more UnfaVoTHh' Tor 70" f''N. u
ArcoTdnx to NJ charles RouNs report repairs WAY
England or Scotland for 5000, ana a. ',s''h III
~ 'akyS NJ" 10y hat could be easily accomplished
in Grea, Britain IN twonty-hN" Gays. ~, 'ti'n a.
no, receve specai government subsidies are plac
ing orders for SUCH new steamers - -.
with English and Scotch builders inns ~ W. az
all
with the leading nrms At "%n n,,cg Conn, 81
Paris and Nartes. the les Ahei.e, IoTins oin
pany OF the Seine the nrm ~ MM t,'t 49, r..'
ChaImet OF Bordeaux. and NM ,Artuot@ 49,
OF Brest II Is also significant th'l IT, w. NJ" h.
steamers Tor he new Y5hsc,bmd5Tr ana Weymouth
are being bull, In Germany. during INC IGi@ 'r
o. the year Which S S14.' r 20" ,G'' b.
Ernncb arms The French shiphuildinr establish
inents able 70 turn ont eHcr.n1 Under con-
three steamers OF 800 tons 'acm TO" "u 80. ~
struc,ion FOR the S3citte dos Charg@ur. hc.ll -.
the yards Of Saint, Nazaire ana ~ hny." ~ I'M
10 be models OF their class. buy IN" 'o r,h
REQUIRED for completion af" excessive. ~ I1,,,.i
building establishment are m9Ie9V'r, ooS s,,~n
nv the Government and thor h'ft '''r mn
lion are devoted 10 building mcn-of-war. "a" orders
for Th"h aisnT kfSn . sd SS adopt In ho
tempt 10 prevent tho ruin ~ ~" ffen.h trt
taxpayer is at las, beginning 10 appreciate me
situation. Enormous sums have n""n 'rI, u w..
Frecrb cofnmorco ana French cars Ing trad" com
m,ttcos have been formed. Official ana private m
and submitted to the Prcsidcni ~ the tcrnhnc. 80
tho cabinet and to the Parliament In" ony re-
suit SO far however has been 10 MAKE inc snip
oWners ask why increase ~" number pt our
shjns when We have carSo"s ." put INTO thcn
'Thr merchants md manufacturers IN thclr turn
aek ''Why consgu our goods 10 French ports
where there are no steamers 2" Nai' uprt th'm
rauidly and chcaply 10 their destination
TIE FREE PORT PLAN
A suggestion OF NJ ChnrcsRoux. chairman 81
The committee on the Budget OF the Ministry 81
Commerce meets the approval Of the Chambers
OF Commerce OF MarseIllcs and iiayrc, and Is said
TO be favorably considered 10y the Government. 1t
IS proposed by NJ. G. nrles-RouX 10 transform
Marseiles Havre. Nantes ana Dunkcrquc into
Free Ports" on the modes OF Hamburg. Bre-
mon and Copenhagen II Will be remembered that
Narcotics DunkerQue and Bayonnc were created
free uorts by Louis XIV. The privilege with
drawn during the Revolution. but Marscilles be-
came a free port again from 1914 10 1911 Mar
srics now asks to be made "A free port for the
third time and her example l. followed by Havrc
and Dunkcruuc The Committee Of Experts who
have been Investigating the subject have come
10 the conclusion that the plan IL perfectly prac-
ticai and recommend Copenhagen as the model
after which the French free ports should he cs-
tablished. II the plan goes into eject hundred
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