, 1900-05-03
TROOP


Strated 10 every nation the necessity
of merchant ships for transport serv-
ice, making each nation feel keenly
that to the extent it lacks in merchant
shipping it lacks in an essential of ma
tional defense. They will certainly
apply themselves as a consequence to
the creation and maintenance of a
home-built and manned shipping. first
for the national defense. and second,
for commercial advancement.
The total population of the two
South African republics does not ex-
coed 300, 900. and yet $50 900 tons of
British shipping have been and still
are employed in transporting $50 1000
British soldiers, their requirements
and supplies of all kinds to the seat of
war. Great Britain alone is capable
of producing a merchant shipping
equal to such an emergency. The great
powers are saying to themselves, If
this be so when pitted against only
30O.0 900 people, what will be the case
when the number is greater?"
The Philippine islands contain
nearly 5000, 600 people. Cuba contains
1.573 900. With a general revolt in
any of them, our need of merchant
ships for transport and other service
auxiliary to naval and military opera
tions would several times over exceed
our present supply. Were we to en-
gage 1900 o tons of our merchant ship
ping for such purposes not a ton would
be left in its present employment. II
is impossible for this country to do
what Great pritafn hoe dome cinnniv
because we have permitted foreigners
chiefly Britons-to absorb the bulk
of Jul ocean carrying. so that her
withdrawal of hat shipping has least
affected her maritime interests. The
cost of ocean transportation has risen
however. 80 per cen as a consequence.
Since this country pays 5000, coo, 600 a
year in ocean transportation, that in
rease II continued for only one year
means that the British-Boer war will
cost the United States $50, 000, 900 in
extra ocean transportation charges,
the bulk of which goes to British ship
owners. 1t is easily possible that the
increase in ocean transportation
charges levied upon the commerce of
other nations, will reimburse Great
Britain, through her shipowners. for
the entire cost of the British-Boer
war.
Our war with Spain has caused this
country to create a feet of magnificent
transports. But they would be entire
ly inadequate for our needs in any
great war, while we have nothing upon
which to fall back-nothing common
surate with our needs. Moreover, it
is but one year in ten, at most, that we
are at war; during hat time our mer-
chant ships should be employed in
carrying merchandise, rather than in
being in immediate readiness for
transport service. But to have the
ships available we must encourage
their construction by effective legisla-
ton. and congress has not begun the
broad consideration of this subject one
moment too soon.
Our foreign trade is increasing o
d%erfully. The increase in our exports,
n in the exports the increase is
wholly in manufactures. When our
great trade was in raw products which
furnished employment in manufactur-
ing to Europeans, they were content.
DuI ho"p "hCh VIC lNd lLthl III llt
worlds markets in manufactures then
our real serious danger threatens. The
nations of Europe will not stand idly
by and see themselves denuded of their
foreign markets. They will CONNER
cially combat our progress until they
see how futile such opposition is;
INT then, we may be sure, resort win
be had to less peaceful methods TO
stifle our growing trade. Without
merchant ships of our OWE we are at
the mercy of our great commercial
rivals. This robs our progress of sta
bility. We cannot permit this condi-
ton to exist a moment longer than is
necessary to secure the adoption OF
such legislation as will inaugurate a
new departure. We must have an
American-built merchant marine. 1t
must be owned and manned by Ameri-
cans. That shipping must be adequate
to all u commercial needs. Only
then shall we be commercially indie
pendent and properly REINFORCED in
a naval sense.
Possessing of ourselves the means
for our commercial development, we
also become possessed of an essential
element in its proper defense. De-
velopment is uncertain. lacking the
proper defense. a merchant shipping
is essential to our proper commercial
expansion. Its production and main
tenance is possible if congress does its
duty. The knowledge that this coun
try is paying out $500. 600. 900 in ocean
freight charges to foreign ships each
year. when the money could as easily
be paid to our own shipowners, proper
ly protected by our government. is
humiliating and calling. We are not
lacking in anything necessary for the
construction, ownership and operation
of a merchant marine equal to all OF
our national needs. We are only lack
ing in congressional legislation that
will cause the creation of such a
marine.
The people are beginning to realizs
their maritime dependence upon other
nations, and to understand that pro-
gressive commercial development SO