Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-29
7HREE SunNp REASnNS.

THREE SOUND REASONS.
Secretary Of the Navy Long, in n
letter advocating the upbuilding of the
merchant marine, presents three sound
reasons for such policy. one Is the
financial return which would follow
from carrying our constantly increasing
exports; another is the increased busi-
ness 1t would give our shipyards and
still another reason is that it would fur
nish n reserve of seamen upon which
the navy could draw in case of war.
These important considerations are
not now presented for the first time, but
they cannot be too frequently urged
upon public attention. In regard to the
first, merchant marine equal TO the de-
mands of our foreign commerce would
keep at home, to be expended in various
ways among our own people, from $15O,-
100000 to S2O0,O00,O0O annually. The
most trustworthy estimates .placc the
minimum amount yearly paid TO foreign
shipowners by our manufacturers and
merchants at SlJO,OOO,OOO. Nearly all
of this money goes abroad, only IL small
percentage of it being expended in this
country for supplies. 1t helps to keep
European shipyards busy and to pay the
labor employed in them. 1t adds to the
wealth of our commercial rivals. 1t is
an aid to every foreign industry upon
which shipbuilding draws. The eX-
pendlture of this sum of money annually
among our own people would mean
much for the general prosperity.
The shipbuilding industry of the
United States is now large. 1t employs
great deal of capital and labor and is
steadily growing. 1t should become one
of our greatest industries and would be
in comparatively few years under a
judicious policy for the creation of an
ocean merchant marine. We have in
this country every facility for ship.
building on the most extensive scale.
The raw material is here in abundance
and the skill Of American shipbuildcrs
Is unsurpassed. The price of labor here
is higher than abroad, but this is nearly
or quite Offset by the fact that American
labor accomplishes more in a given time
than foreign. A Russian official who
recently made an inspection of American
shipyards was particularly impressed
with the superiority of our workingmen.
If we are to maintain large navy
and 1T is generally conceded that we
must do so-there must be seamen al
ways available to man the ships and
particularly in time of war. The gov
ernment experienced some difficulty in
this respect in the late war, showing
the Importance of having a reserve of
trained seamen. This an ocean merchant
marine would provide, as 1t does in the
case Of Great Britain and other mari
time countries.
There are other cogent reasons for
creating Il merchant marine for carrying
our foreign commerce. Senator Frye
says: "To attain higher successes it
becomes necessity that we carry our
freight in our own ships under our own
flag instead of In foreign ships under
| foreign flags. We ought to pay the
$5OO,OOO paid daily to foreigners to our
own people. Every one Of our sailing
| masters should be made thorough
sagacous investigator of market condi-
tions abroad, as foreign masters take
advantage OF our markets" In the com
petition for the trade of the far east the
| United States Is on equal terms with its
rivals in all respects except the ability
| to carry it's commodities in its own ships
under its own flag. This is Il very de.
cided disadvantage, as experience with
| the South American trade has conclu
sively shown.
The country expects from a republican
congress legislation on this most i'm
portant subject that will induce Amerf
can capital to invest in a merchant ma
rine. In order to do this it is obviously
essential that there shall be some rea
sonable guarantees on the part of tho
government that will give fair protec
! ton to the interest ut least until it shall
have become firmly established.