The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-01-11
4 HuMrLIArTNo CONTRAST.


DurlnS the closing decade Of the last
century the growth Of our shipping IN
the foreign trade was no less remarkable
than has been our decline during the
closing years OF the present century.
From ipsp tons OF ships IN our for
eien trade IN r7S. our shipping had In
creased to @7.ie tons in Ise. an IN
crease OF So per cent. 1t was this ama1-
ing Increase that took the nation out Of
the prostratIon Of stagnased industry.
which banlshed the spectre Of famine ana
ruin. which revived trade. brought pros
rerity. opened up probable employment.
gave dignity, strength and power to the
nation at home and abroad. and enabled
US 70 pay OF debt tha, had hung around
the neck OF the nation like a millstOne.
An Of tins was not lost upon the great
nations Of Europe. They mArvened Su,
they respected ''The Young Giant Of the
West" IN those old days, commanded
position among the great nations OF the
earth that upon the sea placed US upon
a par with the best The carrying OF
our foreign commerce in our own ships
increased from less than "a to S per
cen.
During the last ten years American
shipOiag in the foreign trade has de-
creased from ssas to MNs tons. a
loss Of s per cent. in our shipping in
that trade while our commerce has IN
creased in value from Az.Saes to
u.si7Sz1Ie. or - per cent The msr-
ehandise 20 carry steadily increases in
valus. while our own shipping II which
to carry 1t steadily dlminishss. 1t is this
decline. which has been steadily dOwA-
ward in shipping and the steady In
crease In our foreign commerce. which
has made Us a nation 50 little known in
the old world, in the great visible es-
sentials OF power, such as a merchant
marine is accepted as being an indlspu-
table evidence or Long ago. the United
States lost the respect OF foreign na-
tons. because Of Its dwindlIng and de-
caying shipping. when the civil war
ceased. we seemed to pay no further
heed to our navy or our shipping. for
many years Finally. some fifteen years
aga. a determined effort was made to
rehabniia;e our navy. and our success
was most gratifying. When the war
with Spain came upon us. We were pre-
pared. thanks to the foresight shown in
lSS2-ss. and persisted in with more or less
vigOr ever since. with a navy fully equal
to our needs. or at least respectable
enough in size and efficient enough in
every way. to enable US to properly take
care OF ourselves against a third Class
nation.
The determined EFFORT to rehaSilitate
our merchant marine has yet to be put
forth. Our war with Spain emphatically !
taught US that a merchant shipping
adapted 10 the many but important needs
of great nation engaged with an
enemy only to be reached upon or over
the seas. was one OF the prime essentials,
only secondary to an efficient navy. It
was necessary for our maritime salvation
that we should be taught that lesson. We
sometimes wonder whether the teaching
has been needed. whether or not the les
son has been learned. Certain it is that
while our navy has to some extent com
manded the respect of foreign nations
of late years, and very greatly so during
the past year, we are still. in maritime
development. or rather the lack of It,
an inscrutable enigma to the rest Of the
world.