The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-04-27
GREAT FUTURE PROSPERITY
VERT HOPEFUL WORDS OF UNITED STATES SENATOR FRYE.

With an Interoceanic Canal America
 Will be the Greatest Com ercial Coun-
 try on Earfh-Germany the Most
 Formidable Enemy but She Will be
 surpassed-valueo of the Philippines.
 New York, April 26.-Hon. William P. Frye of Maine, chairman of the United States senate committee on commerce, was given dinner tonight at the Wall dorf-Astoria, as testimonial for his efforts in obtaining for New York city the Improvements allowed in the recent river and harbor bill passed by congress.
 Nearly six hundred guests sat down at the fifteen tables In the grand ban- quet hall. The room was resplendant with flags and flowers. Back of the guests of honor table were festoons and garlands of flags and two large ban ners bearing the seals of the states of New York and Maine. Around the bal cony were slken flags and banners bear ing the seals of the other states. The guests marched to the banquet room at half-past seven o'clock Governor Roosevelt was chairman. Others pres ent at the guests of honor table, seated on either side of Governor Roosevelt and Senator Frye, were: Abner Mckinley, Charles Stewart Smith, Former Cover nor Levi P. Morton, General Wesley Merritt, Senator Chauncey M. Depew, George R. Bidwell, Frank Brainard, Sen ator Pasco, Senator German, William F. King, W. Bayard Cumming, Senator Platt A. E. Ord, Hon. William l.. Strong, L. W. Beasley, Hon. James s. Sherman, Dr. Van Dyke, Hon. Amos J. Cummings, J. w. Ambrose and Hon. J. w. Cowan.
 Governor Roosevelt was cheered when he asked for order He said: Gentle men: It is indeed privilege and pleas ure to have been asked to preside here tonight. It is a distinction bcause of those present and the distinguished guest whom we honor." The governor then read the following letter from President Mckinley:
 Washington, D. C., April 26 1899. Hon. William Kinf, President of the
 Merchants Associa ton, New York:
 While the pressure of public business prevents an acceptapne of the invitation to attend the banquet this evening, I am glad to express my qualification that so notable an opportunity is presented for the discussion of the great question of trade and commerce. Such interchange of thought on these topics cannot but have substantial results and will help to maintain and advance our prestige in the markets of the world. You have my very best wishes for most successful and inspiring gathering and I beg that you will convey to the guest of the even- ing, Senator Frye, my congratulations upon this splendid recognition of his de- votion to the commercial and industrial interests of the country
 William Mckinley.
 Senator Frye was accorded tremen- dous ovation when he was introduced. His subject was "Our trade and com nerce generally, and the best methods for promoting them." In speaking strictly to the point of trade expansion, Senator Fry. said:
 Consider for a moment another and in my opinion, a most important aid to | our foreign commerce. Where is the most promising field for it in the near future? Surely in the Orient Hum boldt, more than fifty years ago, declar- ed that the commerce of the Pacific | would in time exceed that of the At 1antic; and what intelligent man to- day doubts the realization in the near | future of what then seemed dream? DO not England, France, Germany, Russia and Italy, by their conduct, rec ognize that the prophecy is to be full filled? How shall we secure our share of this commerce?
 The commercial war upon which the world has entered will become fiercer and fiercer. Germany will be our most dangerous rival. Germany is our most formidable commercial enemy. She is skilled in the arts of commerce and me- chanics; she is persistent, aggressive, annoying and indomitable. I tell you. gentlemen, that we have more to fear from Germany than from any other nation on earth. But despite all her efforts we will surpass her and be more successful that she in the contest for prestige in foreign commerce.
 The Suez canal was opened in 1S70 Before that New York was almost as near the Orient as Liverpool was, but after that Liverpool had the advantage by from three to four thousand miles. From 1870 to 1888 England's commerce with the east increased forty per cent, with the rest of the world only seven teen Shortened routes and lessened freight charges had their legitimate re- suits. Our government should con- struct the Nicaragua canal or some Oth CT isthmuthian water route at the ear Hest possible time, making it neutral to the world except to any nation at war with us. This would bring us one days sail nearer Shanghai than Liverpool will be; on the average thousand miles nearer all the northern ports of China, where we now look for an export trade, and shall hereafter; 1,S00 miles nearer i oklahoma, 1000 miles nearer Corea, l,- poo miles nearer Melbourne, 1,S00 miles nearer Sydney, $500 miles nearer New Zealand. from three to five thousand miles nearer to all of the western coast of South America; would bring us from one to five thousand miles nearer people whose imports last year amounted to s1, 1900 900. Is there an intelligent business man