The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1898-12-01
SHIPS FOR THE WORLD
ANDREW cARNEoiE's VIEW OF
FUTURE POSSIBILITIES.
A0egSe1a Shlpyards WIN supply Vessels
Ter All Creation and with 8yoten Of
Adequate Protection Our Merchant
Marine WIN He Restorod.

Andrew Carnegie mas returned nome
| from his annual summer tour In Eu-
rope more firmly convinced than ever
| that the United States is destined to
become the great shipbuilding country
Of the world. He naturally views the
situation from the standpoint of steel
producer, and in his reliance on the
advantages that the American ship
builder enjoys in the matter Of cheaper
| materials he overlooks for the time
being other considerations which enter
into the question of a restoration OF
American shipping on the high seas.
He says that shipbuilder in TINS
country to-day has the advantage OF
about 81 per ton in the cost OF all steel
materials, and he has all his WOODWORK
cheaper than builders in either Great
4! Britain or Germany. Mr.. Carnegie,
however, does not contend that the
American shipowner can operate his
cheaply-built ship in competition with
the low-priced equipment Of foreign
| vessels which may have cost more IN
the construction.
Although Mr. Carnegie is in posi-
ton to appreciate fully the necessity
of affording special protection to Amer
lean ships, he evidently has not yes
| given that phase of the question as
much attention as he has given to the
simpler matter of building American
ships for the worlds market. He be-
lieves in the immediate development OF
our shipbuilding facilities. On this
subject he says:
81 called the attention of some West
ern shipbuilders to the opening pre-
sented for great shipyard in New
York nearly two years ago, and have
received letters from several persons
regarding the matter. know also of
leading shipbuilding concern in Great
Britain which is considering the adj
visibility of locating here. 1t is OBJ
vious to any man that the United
States is going to resume its original
position as the chief shipbuilding ma
! ton of the world. What is the use OF
sending thousands of tons of steel to
Glasgow and Belfast, as we are doing
now, when we might as well build the
ships here and send them over?"
When asked to what extent he would
personally assist project to establish
another shipyard here Mr.. Carnegie
said:
"Well, what has our company al
ready done toward it? We have as
sisted in placing the steel at the dis
posal Of shipowners here several dol
To IN, oh
shipbuilders in the world can get it.
think that is doing big part in the
matter. When we are asked to take
an interest in any one shipbuilding
concern we naturally hesitate. We are
the friends of all the shipbuilders, and
my heart is in seeing the United States
resume her former position as the fore
most shipbuilding nation. 1t is upon
the cards. I believe that the Carnegie
company would contract with any re-
sponsible shipbuilding company to fur
nish it all of its steel at several dollars
ton less than any shipyard in the
Old World is able to obtain it. and
this for any number of years that the
concern may desire"
Mr.. Carnegie added that steel was
bound to continue very much cheaper
in this country than in any other coun-
try. Great Britain, he remarked, has
no supply of raw materials to make
steel; her coal is getting dearer and her
ore is nearly exhausted. Germany
never could make steel and deliver it
to the shipyard as cheaply as Great
Britain. Each succeeding year will
make more apparent the fact that the
whole shipbuilding business of the
world lies open to the United States.
With regard to the ability of the
American shipowner to equip, man and
operate his vessel so as to restore the
American flag to the commerce. of, the
seas, Mr.. Carnegie said that he had no
doubt a way would be found by which
this live Yankee nation would, after
building the ships, manage to operate
most of them. Although Mr.. Carnegie
on the present occasion has refrained
from discussing tariff questions, he is
known to favor legislative measures
that will enhance the advantages of
American shipping over the shipping
Of foreign countries. Being able to
produce the best ships in the world
at the lowest cost, this country must
necessarily take steps to give ample
protection to the American owners Of
those ships against the rivalry of ves-
sells flying foreign flags which are OPP
Grated at much less cost than is posi-
bic in the manning and handling of an
American ship. Mr.. Carnegie is heart
lily in favor of building up an Ameri-
can merchant marine. This country is
prepared to supply the whole world
with its products, and the shippers OF
this country ought to be able to deliver
such products in vessels flying the
American flag.
Zone cannot travel abroad" remarks
Mr.. Carnegie, without seeing the in
roads that the United States is making
In many lines of trade. In Germany