Washington sentinel., 1898-09-03
A NEw AMERICAN MERCHANT NAVY
London .SvyeH

London Syyen
1t is well worth considering what
effect the war between Spain and the
United States will have upon the worlds
ocean carrying trade IN the near future.
Barring the Great Lakes and the Coast
trade. the merchant navy of America
was' and is. altogether insignificant.
Spain may also be similarly ignored in
this connection. Yet only twoscore
years ago, on his return home from this
country, Buchanan, in an address to his
fellow citizens of the Great Republic,
declared that the United States mercan-
tile marine was the largest in the world.
Statistics fully supported that view. At
that time in the principal docks OF Liver
pool the American flag was we'll 10
evidence on some Of the finest
sailing ships the world has ever seen,
or probably ever will see. Even our
best ships were built on the other side
OF the Atlantic, brought over here, and
sold to English owners The clipper craft
OF those days carried an amount OF can
vas which would almost seem incredible
to the junior officers now in existence,
One OF the class, the Donald Mckay,
had moonsail, skysails, and skysall
studding sails! II anything the practice
IS becoming more prevalent OF dong
without studdiDg sails and anything
above a royal. AS a matter OF fact, the
manning scale Of forty years ago was
liberal to fault, and permitted OF such
a spread Of canvas; whereas lower
treights and reckless competition have
now compelled the strictest economy in
men and material. In J ne, 1856, the
James Banes, as recorded ia her log
book did al knots with main skysail set
before a fresh gale; and on another
occasion, while making II knots under
similar canvas, sighted the Libertas
going the same way under close reefed
topsail.
There is nothing ahoat will compare
with these old time sailing vessels in
point Of speed. The United States was
the home OF these splendid specimens
Of the naval architects art. Iron and
the tea kettle" seemed IN some Vay to
paralyze the arm Of the American ship
builder. Wood and hemp we're more
familiar to him, and a sailor could not
desire prettier sight than one OF these
clippers under full sail with her cotton
canvas glistening IN the summer sun.
The glory Of the American mercantile
marine has departed; whether it will
ever return is open to argum ent.
In 1855 there were built in the United
states 3SI square rigged ships and
barqu and I26 5rigantines Last wear
throughout the whole country but one
small barque was launched. and not a
single full rgged ship or brigantiue
these hgures. obtained from the reports
oiMr. Z, I. Chamberlain, Commissioner
OF Navigation at Washington, bear
eloquent testimony to the downfall OF
Americas Mercantile Marine. Yetthere
Is large an unit Of American capital
invested In shipping under foreign flags.
Under the protection Of native industry
system capitalist Of the Great Repub-
lie may not buy a ship built abroad and
place It under his countr s flag. Every
restriction is placed in the way oftransfer
OF this description, lest the shipbuilding
industry OF the United States should
suffer. Apparently, our near kin would
rather be without ocean carrying craft
than permit the purchase Of foreign
built ships and transfer OF flag At any
rate, this is the net result OF such re-
striction.
Nevertheless, commercial men-iully
alive to the hardships of the law-art
not slow in finding ways whereby the
law may be evAded. Ships which hav,
met with an accident are bought and
| repaired by American citizens. Under
certain conditions these vessels ar,