The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-28
SHIPPING AND COLONIES.
Relation Between the Two and Its
Effect on American Commerce.


There is published on July of each wear
register of sailing vessels. In this list
minor craft for coastwise river and bay
trade trade are not included, but only vessels of
H1ty tons burden and upward, the total
number of which, in all countries is APP
proximately, thirty thousand.
1t IS curious evidence of the close. rela-
ton which shipping interests bear to- CO.
lonlal possessions that the merchant fleets
or nations having large colonial possessions
are materially larger than the fleets of ma
tons having none and that the latter are
gradually losing their share Of the world S
commerce. This is especially so with Swe-
uell, the number Of whose sailing ships is
less than 1t was ten years ago, and the fact
mas been strongly marked in a recently pub
nsned report Of the Canadian government
showing g steady dminution in the COM
merce OF Canada in Canadian ships. At the
head of all nations in the number of sailing
vessels, and in steam vessels, too is Eng
land, with total number of vessels by the
last report of $500. Germany has 1,OO0
France 1884, Spain Lis and Holland $50 the
tons, $4,000, $4,000, 10000 and 12l 900, re-
spectlVely. Many South American countries
whose products are shipped to all parts of
the world, and the inhabitants of which are
dependent largely upon manufactured i'm
ports, have very little commerce in ships of
their own, and their trade is carried on by
the merchant naVieS of other countries
Brazil, for instance had at the time of the
Iast census, population Of 1S.0ooOOO, but a
anu austria. Hungary, an empire with a
population of nearly az, 900 600. had only 1877
sailing ships, the combined tonnage of the
two being less than that of Holland the
population of which is less than 4500 900
while the total population of Austria Fl un-
gary and Brazil is in excess of $1,000, 600
But neither Austria nor Brazil has any
foreign colonies; both are dependent upon
foreign ships for the transportation abroad
OF their exports and for the carrying of
their imports too Holland. on the other
hand, has colonies with a collective popula-
ton of nearly S00C0,000. and the Interchange
of products between the home country and
q mn ant Of
trade. though, in the case of Holland, it is
conducted largely in steamships.
TWO countries which may not unreason-
ably be compared in many particulars are
Portugal and the Argentine Republic The
population of the two countries is about the
same, but While Portugal has many colo
MES distributed throughout the world the
Argentine has none, and, perhaps, in part
as consequence of this, the Portuguese
Of the Argentine. though the commerce of
Portugal is steadily diminishing while the
Argentine is growing in wealth. population,
in the development of its fertility, and in
the diversity of its products.
These comparisons between shipping and
colonies are of interest to the United. States
just now because of the sure indications
which they give of increased maritime bust
tension of its sovereignty, through the plac-
ing of It's flag over other lands. By the last
published report the United States stood
second among the nations of the world in
the number of their shipping vessels and in
tonnage. condition due chiefly, however,
to the enormous coastwise business of the
United States and the great trade which
Americans and Canadians monoDolize on
the lakes Comparatively little American
commerce is done in American ships with
foreign countries, but unless all previous
indications are at fault and are misleading
this condition will not endure hereafter