The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-13
HANNA DHFEBDS HIS BILL.
Makes a Three Hours Speech for
the Ship Subsidy Scheme.
he Declares That II WIN Prove the
salvation of the American Mer-.
chant ssarine-sEeets Pointed aue<-
tions From Democratic Senator's
With DeniaIs or Passes Them over

For nearly three hours toda! Senator
Hanna occupied the floor of tie Senate
and made defence Of his pet Ship Sub
sidy bin He began TO speak at HIS and
did not close until after o'clock.
In opening his speech, Mr. Hanna stat
/ ed that he arose to speak on the bill be-
cause many objections had beez raised
and many criticisms made
The reH-@fks OF the Senator from
Georgia GAIr. Clay the other day reflect
ed the pisns of those who oppose this
bill, !" said he. His remarks clearly in
sinuatCd that the motives of the men who
desired to pass the bill were impure.
For my part" exclaimed Mr. Hanna, Il
resent even an insinuation that my mo-
! tives are other than the highest--those
OF public servant desiring to serve his
! country in the best way
I desire to say that I did not question
the motives of any Senator" said Mr..
Clay.
4 am glad of that replied Mr.. Hanna,
but I understood the remarks otherwise,
Now. when ! came into tie Senate three
years ago. was fully conversant with the
needs Of the ,aerchant marine, and I was
placed On the Maritime Committee as a
compliment TO my knowledge. This COM
mittee was connected with all interests il
! the merchant marine-shipbuildin and
| traaspor;ation-and it was committee Of
| experts.
Now this knowledge was applied to
| The creation OF this bill. We heard all
manner of experts, but when we at
! tempted to give immediate relief. the con-
/ HictIng interests of the members made il
| impossible. We effected compromise.
/ and as We were all aiming at the same
result We produced and perfected bill
/ This bill was not absolutely perfect. and
many amendments were later accepted.
! We had 10 give in to the special inter-
ests represented by shipowDers. But to-
! day the bin is perfect
! Aid to the Lake shipping.
In my great experience with the mar
itime business on the Lakes ! have for
thirty years watched il grow
This industry has been developed by
/ the direct aid given in lis infancy by the
! United States. Our navigation laws help
I ed the shippers and We had the lakes TO
| ourselves Even with this protection. the
/ present condition Of the transportation is
/ largely due TO our good harbors on the
7
been cut until today there is little money
/ in the merchant marine
The Senator from Colorado (Mr. Teller
| asked a question the ether day as to the
I cause OF the decline OF the merchant ma
i Tine since the civil war. This is a perth
meme question Il is known that it mas
fallen.
1t is not fact that the de-
/ cline Of the merchant marine
began at the close of the civil
war" said Mr. Vest The decline began
/ in 1885, according 10 Treasury Department
/ statistics. and this was before the civil
war
7 am speaking Of foreign commerce"
snapped Mr. Hanna
4 too, am speaking Of foreign COM
merce.' replied Mr. Vest
I viii read my investigations in this
matter" ceTeiRued Mr.. Hanna. When
! the First Congress met We had ships In
| many harbors and until the civil war our
merchant marine increased over soc per
| cent
Mr.. Hanna then read long column of
statistics showing the growth Of Ameri-
can shipping in the early century.
Our total tonnage today is i00, 600 less
than it was in 1916" he resumed To-day
American vessels carry only per cent OF
the commerce Of the United States In
1873 Congress passed a subsidy bill under
which the Collins line was built and these
vessels outsailed every ship on the Allan
tic an5 proudly carried the American flag
over tae seas. Thete is no man here who
does not know that foreign competition is
killing our merchant marine. The Ameri-
can flag is hardly known on the seas and
England has been debating the rates
which we shall pay for transportation of
goods. Every infant industry ever given
birth in the United States has had to
struggle with the British competition.
DisorEaniEed by the Civil War.
'eThe highest point ever reached in
ownership Of American-built vessels was
in 1851 I call the attention of the SEN
ator from Missouri lMr. vesD to this.
Now the merchant marine was disorgan-
lied by the civil war. The enemy cap
tuTed the vessels: foreigners bought
them, and the Government chartered
them. The people gave up shipowning,
and would not Invest again, as the risk
was too great Steam displaced sails and
iron displaced wood. and the war tax
was tCo heavy TO make it wise to build
or TO O1eEate ships. Absolute free trade
prevailed, and Americans could not COM
pete with foreigners.
This bill seeks to rehabilitate US on
the high seas and to float our flag where
1
speak for such nigh object. 1 am pleas
ed to dwell on this great question which
appeals more strongly to the American
people than any other measure If the
people Of This country are willing to study
this matter from the standpoint of mu-
tuaI benefit they viii see what 81 great
thing it is. It will give Us prestige and
power both in peace and il war. There
is to5 much politics and sectionalism
mixed IN the matter in the minds of the
people,
Hae Mr Hanna became excited and
smote his desk resounding hfows
rs it any wonder that no intelligent
man viii today invest his money in for
eign trade2 Nol II my facts are not
convincing. I can offer no better. This is
simple business question affecting the in
vestment of capital. Still there is another
element which should appeal TO patriot
ism and pride. But the business must
come first.
The World Americas Competitor.
The nations of the world would have
been fighting for our trade and have been
literally substituting all kinds Of vessels
to get them into our ports. This was done
that there would be no temptation for
Americans 10 invest in shipping Every
time a measure looking TO the develop
ment OF our merchant marine is brought
before Congress, the agents OK the foreign
lines are here to defeat the measure
Il do not propose to run away from
the sIander which has been brought
against me in this matter. will dodge
no issue, for my motives arc Of the high