The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-07


the Vast Advantage That Would
Accrue From the Fostering of n
Big Merchant Marine by the Gov
ernment-How Farmers Are d.
rectIy Interested.
BOSTON, Oct. 6.-"The Farmers In
terest in an American-builr Merchant
| Marine was the title of a speech de-
| livered before the Farmers National con-
| gress, in this city, today, by Alexander
r. Smith, of New York Mr.. Smith is a
member of the commission appointed by
| Gov Black, Of New York, to inquire into
| the causes for the decline of New York
| commerce, and to suggest remedies for
| its revival. To the study Of this subject
Mr.. Smith has devoted several years of
his life. For al! the busy years of his
career he has been connected with mari
time and commercial matters. Four years
of his life as a boy was spent at sea in
Anerican-built ships and for ten years
Mr. Smith has been editor of a marine
newspaper, in which he has persistentiy
advocated the substitution Of American
built, Amertcan-owred and American
manned ships in place Of the foreign
ships now engaged in carrying over 30
per cent of our foreign commerce. Mr..
Smith said
"a good many people will wonder what
possible interest our farmers can have in
an AInerican-buiIt merchant marine. 1t
is my privilege and my pleasure 10 en-
tighten them while I endeavor to enter
tain you. 1 am not one OF those Who be
lieve that the interest of our farmers
ceases when the subject Of crops is laid
aside in order that the other great in
terests of the nation may be considered.
I take il that the public spirit and the
patriotism of the American farmer is
just az strong, at least, on great n2t3nal
questions, as are the public spirit and
patriotism Of any other class of Ameri-
can workers
''It is my belief that. in referring the
American farmers to the achievements of
the American navy, they will not turn
deaf ears; and ! am sure that in the fore
castle and in The ward-oOm of our men
cf-war are to be found the sons and the
brothers of the farmers of the United
States-lets of them The achievements
of the American navy are just as much
the pride Of the american farmer as they
are the glory OF any other of our citizens
no matter where they live. and no matter
what their occupations in life may be-
NATION OF PATRIOTS.
I'm these days. when our heroes ara re-
turning home, when flags are flying and
bands are playing, and millions of people
turn out to welcome the greatest naval
hero of the time-the Incompatible
Dewey from that good old farming state,
Nermont-the blood tingIes and the eyes
brighten in the ranks of the farmers just
as much as they do among the profess
SiOnal men and the artisans
The United States is a nation Of pa
triOts and the farmers are the largest
single aggregation of those patriots:
hence it is a foregone conclusion that
when any notable or valGrous act has
Teen performed by American citizens On
land or on sea the patriotic Interest
therein is found to greater extent
among Our farmers than among any other
class Of our citizens, and simply because
numerically, the farmer is king in the
United Statesl
But the press of the country is teem-
ing, nowadays with such lengthy ac-
counts of the performances at Manila
and at Santiago, and the memory does
not go so very far back to recall Mobile,
New Orleans and Hampton Roads and
what history tells Us of Jones and De-
catur, of Perry and Of Eainbridge and
of Hull and Lawrence. rhymes so ing
linely with what it tells Us of Farragut
Sampson and of SchIey that one may be
forgiven for feeling just a little bit proud
er of being an An ericap citizen that tie
subject of any other naticn en- earth.
That's the way I feel and that's the
way believe every man in this audience
feels. So I won't attempt to arouse vour
pride in our ravy-it IS already aroused
and for the hest of reasons
SEA POWER ESSENTIAL.
''What I want to tell you about is YOUR
interest IN an American-buikt merchant
marine; want you to carEy back to
your homes an idea of what merchant
ships are good for-for you and for me.
First of all, let me tell you, that the
merchant ship is the everyday evidence
of national viriIity and vigor The ma
tiOn that has the most ships on the sea
has the most to say in the affairs of the
world. The nation that has the most
seamen under its flag is the nation that
doesn't take water from anv other ma
ton on earth-that nations say so goes.
The United States is not today the ma
ton it could be and that it should be.
Two billions of dollars is the annual
value of the things We buy from and sell
to foreigners. 1t requires about five or
six millions of tons of ships to carry
our purchases and our sales and those
ships are worth, roughly speaking. q
half q billion of dollars They annually
earn, in the carriage of our imports and
exports, 100000, 600 Any Industry that
earns SzW,0O0,OdO year is a pretty big
one and worth cultivating.
All the cotton produced in the United
States last year would Just about suffice
to pay the cost of carrying our imports
and exports. 1t would take one-quarter
of our enormous corn crop this year. or
one-third of our entire wheat crop, to
pay the freight charges on our foreign
commerce. The value of our exports last
year was billion and a quarter of dol
lars, but it took one-sixth of our exports
to pay the freight on our foreign COM
merce. If that freight money was paid
to our own people, and, turning over
and over again, gave employment on the
farms, in the -miness, in the forests, In
the mills, and in the shipyaris, we would
have reason to rejoice; but what will
you think when l tell you that, for every
dollar paid 10 an American ship owner
for carrying our exports and imports last
year, $11 We're paid to foreigners What
will you think when I tell you that for
not dollar came back. since the whole
of the value of that export was needed
to pay foreign ship owners for carrying
our imports and exports?
WOULD EMPLOY MANY MEN.
How many men in our iron and coal
mines do you suppose might we have
Continued on Fourth Page.