The San Francisco call., 1898-12-12
TIE THREE COURSES.

NNLY three practical courses at the present \ J time are open to the United States, says
 the Commissioner of Navigation in his an nua report, which has just been submitted to Con- gress He sets forth the three courses as follows:
 First-we may retain our laws unoha l, ignore national navigation and continue rely vessels under foreign flags for the transportation of our exports and imports
 Second-We may permit foreign-built vessels to register under the American flag, ship crews abroad and increase national navigation.
 Third-We may extend direct Government aid to vessels built in the United States and thus increase both national navigation and L1tional ship building
 There should be no hesitation on the part of Con- gross in deciding which of such courses to adopt To take the first would be to continue paying heavy tribute to foreign shpowners and to leave the Amer ican merchant marine exposed to the ruinous compe
 on of it's subsidized rivals while the second course would simply destroy ship-building industry and compel our merchants to seek in foreign shipyards the vessels needed for their commerce
 The argument for the third course is strong and convincing. The report before us points out that largely through indifference we have lost the share in rans-Atlantic navigation which was once ours The growing trade of the Pacific is rapidly slipping away from us, Excluding Hawaii, entries and clearances from Asia and Ooeanca at ports oi the United States during 1890 amounted to assoc tons American ship ping, and n 1897 to only 2zI4SS tons while foreign shipping increased from 4sr242 tons to o2472o tons
 Foreign nations" says the Commissioner, "are sSilully following the policy oi government aid to develop their navigation in the Pacific, Toward steamship lines to the coast of Asia alone Great Britain last year contributed SI,2soooo; France SI,2I7,ooo; Germany, $4Soooo; Spain (1So6), S416- 600; Russia, $os,ooo; Austria, $3o6ooo, and Italy S277,ooo. The United States paid only $4oooo to American lines to Asia st regular mail rates. We have deuded ourselves into the belief that the Pacific trade will become ours without taking ordinary pre- cautions to meet competition"
 As result of past neglect to build ID a rner- chant marine equal to the needs o the nation we are now handicapped in the commercial contests of the world. The present emergency finds us unprepared and the Commissioner of Navigation declares that as n will take at least eighteen months to build the yes sels of over 5000 tons and sixteen knots now needed to meet the conditions of the Pacific I've must take steps for the qualified admission of foreign ships to American register in order to enter immediately into active competition for Asiatic trade"
 It thus appears that by reason of neglectns to pro- mote American ship-buding we are now to be com peied to admit foreign ships to American registry or suffer heavy commercial loss. With this exper- fence of the consequences of delay Congress can hardly fail to agree the statement of the President lt wil be conceded that the present situation calls for legislation that shall be prompt, durable and liberal"