Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-12-07

COMPARISONS ARR EXCESSIVELY oOIoUs


practically shut on by Niagara Falls
from foreign competition. the tonnage
OF vessels entered ana cleared at sea-
ports OF the United state. IN foreign
trade for 1891, comprised 5.gis6ss cons
American and s2.ess,tip tons foreign
shipping. In over sea navigation to
foreign ports more than 100 miles dis
tant American shipping amounted 20
only zoos $50 tons compared with 20.
iiS.OsG tons foreign.
Only three practical courses. az the
present time. are open 80 the United
Slater.
Flfst.--wc may retain our iawr un.
changed Ignore national navigation and
continue ~ rely on vessels under for
sign flags for the transportation OF our
exports and Imports.
sccond-wc may permit foreign bult
vessels 10 register under the American
ilaE. ship crews abroad and increase
national navigation.
Thlfd-We may extend direct govern
mvnt aid 20 vessels buiit M the unked
states and thus Increase both national
navigation and national shlpbullding.
Tho last named OF .hcHp THREE cuurfca
II suggested 90 q very great cNtsn; hy
our new relations 60 the rest OF the
world which expects fhc United states
10 become maritime power. Foo the
less permanently hold Inhabited turrl-
tory beyond the limit OF the North
American continent
n all. that such possession Involved
were the physical force O. keep these
domains against an cumer- the vote 81
some extra tens Of millions cvcgy year
50 the army aud navy would be fuiii-
Client. The nag OF the United States
should be more than the token OF con-
quest by superior siTsg.h.
Every maritime position must cores
pond TO our prctcnslona. and 20 attain
this result American ahipyaTds and
American ships mus. be Increased. and
reasonable contributions from the treas
ury towards this result should not be
beRrudgcd.
Nations ana individuals that dissent
from the general theory " government
aid 90 private enterprise Svnccdc on
political grounds. an exception IA favor
OF shipbulldlng and navigation.
Largely through indifference We have
| lost the share In Transatlantic nnviga-
slon which was once ours. The growing
trade of the Pacific IL rapidly slipping
away from u. Excluding Hawaii en-.
tries and clrarances from Asia and
Oceanicn at ports OF the United states
In 1890. amounted 90 sSs.ao0 tons Amcfl.
can shipping and IN 1897 90 oniy s2i.iSs
tons. while foreign shipping Increased
from fli.si3 tons 90 g.f.sso tons. For
olgn nations are now skllfully following
the policy Of government and 70 de-
vslop their navigation In the Pacific.
Toward steamship lines 20 the east
coast Of Asia alone Great britain last
year contributed ti.?i0,O00. France,
u.si1.OOo; Germany. $4,000; Spain.
I ussG) $4,000. Russia. 100000. Austria,
,gOG.OO0 ana Italy. ts'1O00,
The United states paid only 10000
20 American liners TO Asia at rcgusr
mall rates. We have deludcd ourselves
into the belief that tho Pacific trade
VIII become ours without taking urdl-
nary precautions e. meet competition.
Liberal extracts are published from
the report on which the Rclohsiag last
year Increased 10 100000 marks sub
| rldicH to German vessels In the Pacific.
showing that Germany N already en-
deay0rinR 20 forcstall the United States
IN securing commercial control u tho
/ Pacific.
The act Of 1891. wnS designed to secure
the largest and quickest sicafnshlpH In
I the world for the American service on
the Atlantic. Marine construction, how
ever has already advanced beyond the
size aud speed contemplated when THAI
act was passed. II has proved made
auato for the Pacific Its maximum
rates for that trade are $50 per nau-
/ teal mile outward for i6.knot steam
ship. The British government pays
t2.A2 TO the PcnlnHular and oriental
and $40 % the Canadian Pacific lines,
the German government pays t2bi To
ii-knot vessels Of the North German
Lloyd. and the French government s3.ss
| 10 the Measageries MarS,imcr Tor the
equivalent OF an inferior service to
Asia.
spain imposes annual charges Of
sbs0,0O0 on cuba. $4,000 on Porto Rico
ana $4,000 on the Philippines for
steam communication and herself con-
trihuted 81, 900 600 more for that purpose.
This Spanish total II about double
the entire support the United States
gave American steamships IN 1877. The
| obligations we have assumed by taking
Porto Rico aud the Philippines, annex.
Ing Hawaii and governing CUBA. thus
require uH 20 make larger npproprih-
tons for the merchant marine. or TO
confess our weakness by abandoning
navigation 20 Great BrNain, Germany.
France and Japan. .,
We must also take steps for the quail
fed admission OF foreign ships 10 Amer
lean registry In order 10 enter lmme-
diately into nctlvc competition Tor Arla-
tic trade. The act Of 1891 calls for ''J0
tons steamships OF 10 knots We nave nave
1900 tons. All Of these are American
transatlantic liners ana two New
York. cuba mail liners already under
| postal contract The Arizona. $500
tons, 10 knots. r. the only vessel CON.
plying with the requirements OF the act
Of 1891 and she was admitted by Con,
greSs last June 10 American registry ana
bought by the war department.
The china admitted by Congress at
the same time IL 49iO tons. " knots
| The two remaining vessels are the Clif
| OF pekina. 1850 tons, hut only II knots,
built In 1874, and tho III Rio. owned
by the navy under the name Dixie