The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-12-08
"a AIDING TO REVIVAL OF THE
MERCHANT MARINE
cHAMBs. RLAIN MAKES CHOICE
Documents That D irect Govern
ment Aid Be Afxtend ca To 'ne
Americap Ship Bui iders

the American Merchant Marine Get 'onlinelu
ed by Secretary Gage. .;o.,,,
Excluding the Great Lakes, lFi o'io ''
sbut off bv Niagara Falls from fore Z II cum
pat;tion. the tonnage of vessels enteia q ant
cleared at seaports of the United ott. co.
FOREIGN trade for 1897 comprised ',Z4e ~ -'
tons American and 32,63z, 4l9 TONS ioi'A :,
shining. In over sea navigation to loren .
ro,ts more than 1900 miles distant, Amen
can shining amounted to only 2,oGS,6oA
IONS compared with 27,4lS,026 tons 1ors
eign. A.. ,,.os.
chi time. are open to the United States:
First-We may retain our laws unchanged,
ignore national navigation and continue 10
RELY on vessels under foreign hags 1or the
transportation Of our exports and imports
Sccopd-Wc may permit forelgn-built YES
sells to register under the American flag;
ship crews abroad and increase natiohai
Third-We may extend direct govern,
ment aid to vessels built in the United
States and thus increase both national nav
igation and national ship building.
The last named OF these three courses Is
suggested to very great extent by our
new relations to the rest OF the world, Whlcn
expects the United States to become mari,
Illilc power. TOr Tue utst tiiuC I i" '
and shall, doubtless, permanently mold m
habited territory beyond the limit OF the
North American continent.
Ii all that such possession involved were
the physical force to keep these domains
against all corners, the vote OF some extra
tens of millions every year to the army and
navy would BE sufficient The flag OF the
United States should be more than the
token of conquest by superior strength. Our
maritime position must correspond to our
pretensions. and to attain this result Amer
lean shipyards and American ships must be
increased, and reasonable contributions from
the treasury toward this result should not
be begrudged. Nations and individuals
that dissent from the general theory OF gov
eminent aid to private enterprise concede
on political grounds an exception in favor
OF ship building and navigation.
Largely through indifference we have lost
the share in Transatlantic 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 Oceanica at ports OF the
United States in 1890 amounted to 23S, $3.50
tons American shipping. and in 1887 to only
22l ,43S tons, while foreign shipping increased
from 43l ,242 tons to 924,720 tons. Foreign
nations are now sllillfully following the
policy of government aid to develop their
navigation in the Pacific.
Toward steamship lines to the east coast
of Asia alone Great Britain last year CON
trhuted 81 ,250,000: France, Sl,2l7O00; Ger
many, $4S0,000; Spain 1886, $4,000: Rus
STA, S405000; Austria, 100000, and Italy,
S277, 200. The United States paid only $40,
600 to American lines to Asia at regular
mail rates. We have deluded ourselves into
the belief that the Pacific trade will become
ours without taking ordinary precautions &c
meet competition. Liberal extracts are
published from the report on which the
Reichstag last year increased to 5,500,00C
marks subsidies TO German vessels in the
Pacific, showing that Germany is already en-
deavoring to torestall the United States in
securing commercial control of the Pacific.
The act of 1891 was designed to secure the
largest and quickest steamships in the world
for the American service on the Atlantic.
Marine construction. however. has already
advanced beyond the size and speed con
templated when that act was passed. 1t
has proved inadequate for the Pacific. Its
maximum rates for that trade are 50 so pei
nautical mile outward for siXteen-knot
steamship. The British government pays
1872 to the Peninsular and Oriental and
$40 to the Canadian Pacific lines, the Ger
man government pays S2.5f to fourteen-lno
vessels of the North German Lloyd and the
French government S2gS to the Messageres
Maritimes, the equivalent for an inferior
service to Asia.
Spain imposed annual charges Of S5S0,00C
on Cuba, Sl25.000 on Porto Rico and $4,000
on the Philippines for steam communica
tion and herself contributed Sl,Oc0,000 more
for that purpose. This Spanish totai /,
about double the entire support the United
States gave American steamships in 1897
The obligations we have assumed by taking
Porto Rico and the Philippines, anneXing
Hawaii and governing Cuba thus require Us
to make larger appropriations for the mer
chant marine or to confess our weakness by
abandoning navigation to Great Britain
Germany, France and Japan.
We must also take steps for the qualified
admission Of foreign ships to American
registry III order to enter Immediately into
active competition for Asiatic trade. The
act of 1891 calls for 5000-ton steamships o.
10 knots. We have only ten sea-golne
steamships OF over 1000 tons. All Of thts
are American Transatlantic liners and two
New Aork-Cuba mail liners already undel
postal contract The Arizona, $500 tons, II
knots, is the only vessel complying with tn,
requirements Of the act OF 1891, and she wa
admitted by Congress lat June TO American
registry and bought by the War Department
The China, admitted by Congress at til,
same time, Is 1910 tons, Il knots. The WI
remaining vessel. are the City Of Iekiu
$3.50 tons, but only II knots, built in 1874
and the /. RIO, owned by the navy undo
the name Dixie.
II viii require a least eighteen months t,
build vessels OF over 5000 tons and sixtecl
knots needed 10 meet new conditions in III
Pacific Meanwhile a combination OF fou
large German lines aided 10y the Eeichstaa
Is Fastening to completion steamships t.
carry out German imperial policy in Asia
y relaxation OF the registry law was nee
essary to establish orr transatlantic line an,