The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-01-07
4 NATIONAL NEED.

Although We have a foreign cOmnercs
Of large prOportiOns-vAiued Al about
n@OoOOD annually-ln the carrying Of
which ships earn each year considerably
more than ssN@eoo only fraction OF
that foreign commerce-less than 10 per
cent--is carried In American ships. The
drala upon the United States OF PAYING
out annually as much as s00Op to
foreign shlpOwners FOR transportation
service. Is one that no nation could bear
except this one While last year the
balance Of cur trade in our own favor
was sasoNeo: that is to say. We sent
abroad merchandise valued AZ sGsM,o0
more than We imported. yet fully one half
OF that enormous favorable trade balance
was used Up IN squAring our traasporta-
ton account 1t is a fiction. IN reality.
10 suppose that our actual favorable
balance is over six hundred millions OF
dollars. when our own ships do but 10
per cent OF the carrying Of our Imports
and expOra
This is a suhjee, worthy OF the care
tui attention Of our nstiOnal government.
With a foreign trade so vast with It's
future expansion 50 promising. the ne
cessity for a shipping OF our own BE-
comes more and more imperative. The
matter OF fostering the growth OF our
foreign trade deserves the careful and
sOnstant attention Of the government.
That scrutiny is necessary in order that
nothing shan Be permitted TO Injure
tn1N ceaHa44@Nes oAAAeNN 70 tue SOfegn-
ment or unknown to congress and the
nation The same applies to our ship
ping. Considering that a shipping OF
our own. adequate to the carriage Of only
one-half OF our foreign commerce. would
cost. al least three hundred millions OF
dollars 60 construct. and fully thirty
millions. annually. to keep up the proper
ton. to say nothing OF the needs Of an
expanding commerce. and considering
that this shipping would result in keep
ing in the United States at least one-half
Of the three hundred millions Of dollars
now annually paid to foreign shIpOwners.
here too. the constant and critical at
tentiOn Of a department of the govern
ment is a national necessity.
II member OF the cabinet. one Of
the constitutional advisers OF the presi-
dent was concerned. all the time. in
promoting the expansion of our foreisn
commerce, equally concerned in seeing to
It that nothing prevented the employ
ment OF American shipping in the car
rIase Of that commerce watching for
and pointing out new opportunities for
trade and profit for shipping. keeping
the subject Of our commerce and our
shipping constantly before the adminis-
tratration. and before the eyes and in
the minds OF congress, need we doubt
that the people would soon realize tbe
Importance Of the subject Of expanding
our foreign commerce and promoting and
conserving great national merchant
marine Of our own.
The nation. in the strength, the power
the prestige, the wealth, that shipping
Of our own would give. that would be
able to take care of the steadily in
creasing foreign commerce. would be
immeasuraOly benefited, beyond ques-
tiOn. The national neglect of our for
elgn commerce and our shipping engaged
in its carriage. is one of the dark pages
Of our glorious Industrial history. 1t is
time that congress put an end to the
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