The evening times., 1898-12-07
Annual Report of the Com
missioner of Navigation.
OUR TRADE SLIPPING AWAY
Government Aid Suggested for Yes
sells Built i'm America.
Statistics in Support Of the Recon-
mendatioHs Of Secretary Gage.
Tonnage Tax He, ,ision.

The annual report of Navigation Com
missioner Chamberlain is devoted mainly
10 statistics and facts in support OF the
project for the creation Of the American
merchant marine recommended by Secre-
tary Gage. Excluding the Great Lakes,
practically shut off by Niagara Falls from
foreign competition, the tonnage Of YES
sells entered and cleared al seaports Of the
United States in foreign lrade for 1881 com
prised 7.24S 625 tons American and 32,622,4l9
tons foreign shipping, If a line be drawn
everywhere 1863 nautical miles distah;
from our seacoast, trade between foreign
ports inside that zone and the United
States COMPRISED 5.I79969 tons American
and 5.2Is, 1913 tons foreign shipping. In
oversee navigation to foreign ports more
than 500 miles distant American ship
ping amounted to only 2.06S CSC tons, COM
pared with 27,4Is.096 tons foreign.
Only three practical courses At the pres
ent time. it is mentioned, are open 10 the
Emitted States.
First. We may retain our laws unchang-
ed. ignore national navigation and con-
tinul 10 rely on vessels under foreign flags
imports.
second. We may permit foreign-built
vessels To register under the American
nag. ship crews abroad and increase ma
ton navigation.
Third W, may extend direct Govern
ment aid 20 vessels built in the United
States. snd thus increase both national
navigation and national shipbnildnG.
The last-named OF these three courses
tod tn Erf4FsN
our new relations to the rest OF the world,
which expects the United States To be
come a maritime power. For the nrSt
time we now hold, and shall doubtless
permanently held, inhabited territory be-
yond the limit of the North American
continent II all that such possession IN
waived were the physical force 10 keep
those domains against all c"mers, the
vote Of some extra tens Of millions every
wear to the army and navy would be suiti-
ci.nf The flag Of the United States
should be more Than the token OF con-
quest by superior strength. our mari
time position must correspond 10 our pre-
tensions. and TO attain this result Amerl-
can shipyards and American ships must
be increased. and reasonable contribu-
tions from the Treasury toward tins re-
sult should not be begrudged.
Nations and individuals that dissent
from the general theory Of government
aid 10 private enterprise concede on po-
Htical grounds an exception In favor OF
shipbuilding and navigation.
Largely through indifference We have
lost the share in tranSa tlanuc naVlgatla n
which was once ours. The growing trade
of the Pacific is rapidly slipping away
from rs. Excluding Hawaii, entries and
claararces from Asia and OCeanica at
morris of the United States in 1850 amount
ed TO 23S 500 tons American shipping. and
in 1887 TO only 22l. ABS tons, while foreign
shipping increased from 43l.242 tons TO
s24 320 tons. Foreign nations are now
skillfully following the policy OF govern
ment aid 10 develop their navigation IN
the Pacific Toward steamship lines 10
the east coast Of Asia alone, Great Brl-
tain last year. contributed N22tvr',
France Sl.gI-.Oo0 Germany siS1,ea Spain
t1SgSl Sil6 aGa Russia sac. .oa0 Austria s5'6.-
600 and Italy s277. 600.
The United States paid only $4,000 to
American lines 10 Asia At regular mail
rates. w. have deladed ourselves into
the belief that the Pacific trade will be
come ours without taking oTdlnaTay pre-
cauffons TO meet competition. LIBERAL 'N-
tracts are published from the report on
which the Reichstag last year increased
10 ;. 500. 900 marks subsidies TO German
vessels I'm The Pacific showing that Ger
MANY is already endeayoring TO forestall
the United States in securing commercial
control Of the Pacific.
The act Of 1891 WAS designed 10 secure
the largest and quickest steamships in
the world for the American service on the
Atlantic Marine construction. however,
has already advanced beyond size and
speed contemplated when that act was
passed. Ii has proved inadequate for the
Pacific Its maximum rates for that
trade are $3.50 per nautical mile outward
for a slxteen-knot steamship. The Brit
ish government pays s2.S2 to the PENN
sular and Oriental and s.. 40 TO the Cana
dian Pacific lines; the German govern
nent. 50 "a to fOurieen-knot vessels of the