The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-17
TRADE TO The ORIENT
GREAT FUTURE OPEN TO AMERICA
IF SHIPBUILDING is EN-
COURAGED
HILLS SPEECH SIGNIFICANT

Senate Committee on Commerce,
Now at Work Measure to
Build Up a Mercnhnt Marine
Action Vital TO the Interests of
the West.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 16.-(Special)-
The senate committee on commerce
has been holding an extended hearing
on the bill Ito promote the commerce
and increase the foreign trade of the
United States" introduced by Mr..
Hanna in the senate, and by Mr..
Paine in the house.
The senate commerce committee is
an important one. Mr.. Frye being it's
chairman. and Messrs. Elkins. Nelson,
Gallinger, Vest. Murphy and Mills be-
ing among its members.
This bill represents the study and
experience of Eugene T. Chamberlain
commissioner of navigation, who has
distinguished the office. which he so
ably administers, as much by his COM
prehensive knowledge as by his ready
application of it, and who is recog-
nized not only in this country, but
abroad, as a leading exponent of the
best and latest thought on the care,
development and protection of a mer-
chant marine The bill is not only
practical. but 1t is practicable. 1t
meets the demands of the present con-
dition; it is so drawn as to avoid ra-
tionaI objections
That the present condition is impera-
tive is shown by the fact that during
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1897, IL
per cent Of our exports and imports
was carried in American vessels, and
SO per cent in foreign vessels. In the
words Of President ]. J. Hill. of the
Great Northern railroad, in his notable
speech at the reception to Senator
Davis, Sept. 10: LAS soon as we take
our commodities to the salt water, the
other nations make us drop our
bundles, and they carry them at our
expense and make US pay them for do
ing our work"
BILL IN BRIEF.
The substance of the proposed bill
may be summarized as follows: Amer
sisted in regaining and increasing our
trade to distant ports by a compensa-
ton graduated with the exception of
sailing vessels and slow steamships, es-
sentials also to our maritime power
and military strength, upon the dis
tance sailed and upon the size and
speed Of the ships This assistance is
subject to certain conditions, such as
the undertaking of the construction of
new tonnage, the carrying of the mails
free of charge, the construction of
ships so as to make them readily con-
verted into auxiliary cruisers, the right
of the United States to take and en-
ploy them at any time, and the train
ing of American boys for the neces-
sites of naval operations. Provision
is made for the bringing under the
American flag of the few foreign built
ships now actually owned and con-
tracted for by American citizens. and
in which American capital is actually
invested. Such ships, however, are not
permitted to engage in the coast-wise
trade. So, also, are vessels engaged
in the deep sea fisheries provided for
In order that these may be- what they
should be. the nursery for American
mariners.
Special attention is called, In the con-
siderations presented with this bill to
the influence such intelligent foster
ing would have upon the Asiatic trade.
1t being stated that the largest mar
kets of the world not already well de-
Veloped are to be sought for and found
in Eastern Asia These markets are
convenient of access from our Pacific
coast, and in their commerce the Unit
ed States ought to have a fair oppor-
tunity to compete. This cannot be eff
fectively obtained without our own
ships and our own flag
ASIATTC COMMERCE.
1t is noteworthy that President HILL
in the speech already adverted to.
which Senator Davis at the time de-
clared to be the most important ut
terance in twenty years, called atten-
ton to the SURPRISING importance to
the West of an adequate American
merchant marine in order that we
might have and control our natural
birthright of Asiatic commerce, point
ing out, for example, that 'if the sur
plus wheat from the Pacific coast was
carried to Asia, in place of being car
rIed to Europe and there compete with
the agricultural products of the states
east of the Rocky Mountains. Won