The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-22
md ,...ort. carried In foreign YES.

exports and imports carried In foreign YES
sells was but $3.50, 600. 900. In 1885. on the
other hand, the value OF our exports ana
imports carried in American vessels had
shrunk to 223 million dollars, while the
value OF such exports and imports carried
in foreign vessels had risen to ,1Os million
dollars. II will be observed that, even In
1885, we still retained 20 per cent. OF our
ocean carrying trade now. as we have
seen, our proportion has shrunk to less
than o per cent. In other words. tho
United States, rs regards sen-borne ton
mage, has dropped from the second place,
next to Great Britain. TO the fourth place,
below Germany and France, and, II only
the steamships engaged In foreign traffic
are considered, below Norway and spain.
The same period which has witnessed our
decline has beheld astonishing progress on
the part OF our European competitors.
While the increase OF American steam
tonnage registered for foreign trade has
been only IS per cent. during tho last
quarter of a century, the increase OF the
worlds sea-going steam tonnage In tho
same period has been 800 per cent The
sea-golng mercantile marine Of Norway is
400 per cent. larger than 1t was twenty
five years ago, while that of Germany
shows an expansion of nearly 100 per cont.
Again. during the decade ending in 1893.
I American shipyards produced only 2l3,-
! 400 gross tons OF ocean steamships,
whilo, in the same period, German yards
turned out $50, 900 gross tons. and British
yards, 9,6SO,ooo gross tons. BY what
means do our foreign rivals manage to
( develop their shipping interests Mr..
! CHAMBERLAIN points out that. last
year. European nations and Japan
expended over s28,ooo,o 900 for the
promotion OF their sea-borne mercantile
marine while the United States devoted
only $9Ys,2i1 to tho Same purpose On
steamship limos to China and Japan alone
foreign nations laid out some $4,000, 600,
while, to n like end. less than $40, 900 was
appropriated by the United States. 1t Is
obvious, however. that the reasons which
impel other nations to develop their NOR
chant shipping apply with equal force to
our own country. Among these Mr..
CHAMBERLAIN specifies tho dependence OF
the navy upon the mercantile marine;
tho relation OF q merchant marine to in
suar territories and to prospective markets
in Asia Africa, Australia and South Amer
leu, and. finally, its relations to the carry
ing trade and to the promotion Of ship
building and contributory industries.
That it Is the Nations duty to encourage
our mercantile marine is already acknowl-
edged in principle, and something has
been done to give the principle practical
effect. For the last five years all materials
required for the construction Of American
vessels In the foreign trade and all supplies
for such vessels have been exempt from
duty. Some OF the other remedies sug-
gested are rejected by Mr. CHAMBERLAIN
as impractIcablo or positively hurttuI. 1t
is pointed out that a repeal OF the tonnage
taxes would be equivalent TO a bounty OF
about $3.50, 900 annually to foreign ship.
ping while 1t would relieve American ship.
ping from taxes amounting to no more than
$4,000 year. The imposition Of dis
eliminating duties on cargoes in foreign
vessels, or on the tonnage Of foreign
vessels, or the bestowal of bountics on
exports in American vessels is impossible on
account OF treaty provisions. Neither would
the increase Of ocean mail subsidies, though
this is desirable. furnish more than par
tial solution OF the question. On the other
hand, adequate stimulus. at least, would
be supplied by the bills introduced in the last
Congress by Senator HANNA and Repre-
sentative PAYNE, the object Of which Is to
give outside OF the cum paid for mail SER
vice, an allowance to American steamships
capable OF steaming 4 knots per hour, or
upward. Mr.. CHAMBERLAIS shows that,
Of the 3G2 steamships capable of IA knots
or over which now exist in the world, more
than 80 per cent. receive assistance, in one
form or another, from the governments to
which they belong aggrcgating more than
$40. 900, 900 year
Under the bill reported 20 the Senate by
Senator FRYE, the maximum annual rNpen-
diture for the benefit of our mercantile
marine was fixed at $4,000, 900, from
which, however, should be deducted
81 800. 900, tho present cost Of carrying
our ocean mails on American vessels
Before, however. the maximum new cxpcr-
diiurc under this bill, to wit, 81, 300, 900,
could be reached, the capacity Of our ship
yards would have to be- increased many
times, and the tonnage under our flag
; engaged in the foreign trade would have To
he multiplied several fo'd. Such nm increase
in the capacity OF our shipyards and in our
sca-borne tonnage would demonstrate
ability on our part to compcto with foreign
r nations on more nearly even terms. When
the lessened need OF Government assistance
should have been thus proved 1t would bo
proper to.dminsh the allowances, and the
Frye bill provided that. when the maximum
new expenditure OF $500, 900 should he
! attained, there should be pro rata rcduc.
tions in compensation.
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