The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1898-12-10
BRITISH PROTECTION.
England's Effective System of Ma
rine Discrimination.
Through Its Operation American ves-
sells Are Deprived of Profitable
Employment and Driven from
the Ocean Altowether.

the great Lord Bacon had laid down It's
principle thus;
LET u.s." he exclaimed, advance the
commodities of our own kingdom arti
employ our own countrymen before
strangers"
This has been the principle OF Lloyds'
discriminative policies for Ga years.
To a necessary reasonable and just
protection no one can fairly object. But
q good rule may be abused. Such
matter as ship inspection should be
"fair and above board" true and honest.
To erect a protection by artitice in
rules or Partially in classification Is
not TO court esteem for conduct. Had
the British Lloyds been just in their In
spection system, and fair in It's appli-
cation 10 the vessels OF all the nations,
there would not be need Of each having
It's own method and register. Besides
Lloyds, there are now six or seven
others in Europe taking care of national
interests. In the United States the
oldest Is the Record, 1867. This Is Inn
partial, like the French Veritas, 1898.
/ While older, and standing morally above
Lloyds, the Veritas lacks comparatively
In clientele. British navigation, ex-
ceeding that of oil the world besides.
has drawn n train OF underwriting sup
port 10 Lloyds greater by ten to one
80 shadowing It's rival that IL a good
ship can get justice in the British reg
lister she cares little for the French and
all the rest.
DISCRIMINATION and Exclusion.
| fal 20 thnrnnOlt
understanding OF the means by which
our rivals have laid up our ships idle,
even In our own ports, we would not
spend time exposing any OF the tricks of
trade OF the respectable society OF
Lloyds' register and their agents. In
view OF our object, however, IL will not
do 10 overlook their machinery and its
work, nor 10 fail in showing that meas
ures for shipping restoration must have
the form and the potency 10 set Lloyds
ut naught. Only discrimination and ex-
clusion can meet discrimination and ex.
clusion. Only battle can end war
fare. Only intelligence and pluck is
wanting to fight that battle and win II
for the American ship.
II has been said in excuse of Lloyds
that all Is fair in love and war and In
beating rival. When Lloyds was in
stituted the British marine was In bad
shape. The losses Mt sea from want OF
good condition averaged three vessels
every two days. American vessels were
building up the trade of Liverpool, and
London must have something done
about II. Later, when timber failed Of
growth In Great Britain. and iron ma
terials had to be used instead, there was
no obligation on Lloyds 10 open door
for other nations than their own. Eng
land was the iron country" The
United States was the timber country.
Why not pit iron shipbuilding against
wooden? Why not use the power Of
Lloyds 10 float iron and sink wood? IL
would have 10 retire some day. for II
never could be grown In supply suffi-
Client for the wants of shipbuilding.
The Lloyds saw the cause OF iron was
the cause of the country; was not that
enough? A little strategy hurts no.
body. The world likes TO be deceived.
You could have protected against
Lloyds, and by protection could have
developed steam navigation, and iron
shipbuilding as well. You have only
your own government TO blame.
british Protection Tricks.
These excuses are poor. In 1915
Great Britain insisted upon maritime
reciprocity" got IL, and went to work
at new kind OF protection at con-
venience. Pretending not to protect,
she has protected. British consuls all
over the world arc Lloyds' agents. The
president OF the society" is always II
member OF parliament. The institution
Ia clearly quasi-governmental.
Then what about substituting
Twenty-slx years ago II shipbuilder
had imported from England the iron
materialsnnd machinery for steamer,
bringing along the workmen to build
her by the rules for the highest class,
he would find that not being built un-
der survey" only the second-class, in
stead OF the first, would be given--to
run from year TO year-for six years
only. The same materials, machinery
and labor put together In the same way,
IN Great Britain, could be surveyed
in building" and would receive the
highest rating for l2 years. The trick
was, that surveyors were not appoint
Cd to foreign countries-at least not
then 10 the United States. This policy
virtually compelled foreigners TO go to
Great Britain for iron ships, until her
builders had such n start. beginning In
1896, as 10 defy competition. After
surveyors were appointed foreign,
there were rules made MS 10 ma
terials such That only British made
could give the highest character 10
,hips. Just now we are filling orders
for steel materials 10 be built into ships
In Great Britain. A Lloyds agent hns
teen sent 10 Pittsburgh 10 inspect In
manufacture, otherwise the vessels
would be rated AS inferior 90 British
with materials produced at home.
Iron shipping. like wooden. built In
foreign" countries. even by their own
rules and "under survey" has never