The evening times., 1900-01-26


Brunswick which treats Of shipbunding in
Germany. Among other things the letter
says:
The people in the United States do not
yet fully realize he tremendous progress
being made by Germany in all directions.
only a few years ago all, or nearly all,
the steamships employed in the trans-At-
lantic service Of Germany we're bull; at
Glasgow or Belfast, or some other English
port. Now these conditions are rapidly
changing Germany builds her own YES
sells. rhe enterprise Of the shipyards Of
Stettn, Hamburg, Danzig, and Kiel bears
witness to this fact. A steamship wholly
constructed and equipped in Germany
the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse-has for
several years had the best record for quick
passages across the Atlantic, and has not
been surpassed by the latest product OF
English marine architecture-the Oceanic.
An article which appeared in the Bruins
wick Landeszeitung. in the edition OF No
vembeT q last. advocating an increase in
the German navy on account Of the in
crease OF the country's commerce. gays;
Germany's development is shown not
only by the increase OF our exports to over
81 600 900 600 but also by the constant i'm
proyement in the position OF Germauy's
commercial feet and in shipbuilding. OF
| course In these respects England is yet
far in advance. IL has to thank ats insular
position for its standing as a commercial
power and its peaceful colonial policy, al
ready existing more than a hundred years,
which brought it into immediate inter
| course with the farthest countries Of the
| earth
According to the latest review OF the
| commercial fleet of the world. made in the
! autumn of 1899 Germany has made re-
| Gently a greater advance than England.
! Germany's ocean steam fleets gained in the
/ last year 24S.000 gross tons and 900 net;
| the English only 100000 gross and 10000
/ tons net. An increase like that OF the
/ German commercial feet has been shown
! by no other country.
on September 80, England had 1885,
/ 0O0 tons of commercial ships in cOnstruc-
Z tion. Germany. lsg, 600 The difference is
! still very great. but one must reflect that
/ ten years ago German shipbuildiug had al
/ most ceased, and that our coast and har-
/ bors lie far from the coal and iron dis
| tricts.
! "AU other states remain Tar behind Ger
many in shipbuildiug Italy has 1000 tons
! iu course of construction, France. LOCO
] over France is the only cHe of an the
/ cultured countries which still busies Fself
/ considerably with the building OF sailing
! ships the greater half Of those newly built
! are OF this class while Germany and Eng
/ land cannot be said TO build such vessels
( at ALL Among the steam fleets FOR the
/ last ten years The German takes the Sec
/ ond place, oS course. AZ a great distance
/ behind the English. Among the sailing
. L. M. h..
/ gian. stand iu advance OF Germany. IL is
| not clear TO us how much Of the Amer-
] can fleet is really an ocean fleet and how
/ much is employed On the five Great Lakes.
/ The Norwegian sailing feet is only ap-
| pdrently superior To the German, because
Z the greater part Of 10 consists 0f old and
, Outrdnked vessels
In 1889 the merchant marine of the four
/ leading countries ranked in this order.
| Great Britain, Germany, United States and
I France.
The foregoing article shows that Ger
many now occupies the position which the
| United States for many years enjoyed. be-
ing second TO England in ocean transpor-
| JatiOn- Moreover, in spite OF many OBJ
/ stacles, Germany has obtained this posi-
tion In the short period Of ten years. Com
pared with many other countries, its coast
! line is insignif cant:
"On the North Sea from the mouth of
| the Ems. the western boundary, TO the
I Danish border on the east, the distance is
| $50 nautical, or sea, miles. II there be
/ added 20 this the courses Of the Ems 20
/ Emden t35 sea miles,, the Jade and VIII
! helmshayen t25 sea miles,, the Weser to
| Bremerhaven go sea milesl and the Elbe
! 10 Hamburg t7O sea miles,. the German
| North Sea mileage is 310 sea miles.
THE length Of the East Sea KieI 90 the
]
/ and TO the Russian boundary, 62O sea miles
J The sea boundary Of Germany at most IS
| about I .lGO sea miles. and the greater part
| OF this lies on a comparatively inland sea-
! the Baltic. or East Sea. At the same time
Germany only possesses two ports Of great
1 commercial Importance, namely. Hamburg
| and Bremen
! Again. its harbors and shiDyards are
| situated at a distance from its coal mines
! and iron industries. which principally lie in
! Westphalia and the Rhine Province viz:
/ Hamburg, 251 miles; Bremen 16G-25 miles;
J Kiel. 307.5 miles; Stettin, 41375 miles;
| Danzig. 64375 miles.
| This rapid development Cf shipbuilding
| in Germany it TO be attributed to the en-
! cCuragement given by the government to
/ the shipbuilding interests. through liberal
| subventiOns allowed the different conner
| ciaI companies. In Germany. the doctrine
/ of let alone. if it ever had any exist
/ ence, has been supplanted by the doctrine
! OF protection.
1T is believed that what benefits one
| class benefits all. and what benefits the
| greatest number without injury, or with
| the least possible injury, Is the true prin-
| ciple OF government. Since I have been
! here I have heard no hue and cry about
class legislation. but each department Of
! activity accepts, as If it were a matter Of
| course, the degree OF encouragement and
! protection accorded Il.
! AT the present time, every branch OF
| industry is agriculture manu-
! facture, and commerce"