The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-06-12

lines In the world. These other lines
all under foreign flags-are hacked up
with unlimited wealth ani the suppoit
Of their several governments to what
ever extent may be necessary to enable
them to successfully compete for tie
transatlantic trade. The American line
In question is struggling, at consider
able pecuniary loss, to succeed, and to
still further increase its tonnage under
the Stars and Stripes in the face of
this concentrated and united opposi-
ton. In doing so It has been subjected
to the unbridled abuse of every free
trader, every free-trade newspaper,
every enemy of American shipping,
and every defender of foreign ship
ping, in the United States
The deadly purpose of this opposi-
tion is manifest, when we study the
statistics of the United States for the
last fiscal year. OF the total foreign
trade of the United States, 67.O7 per
cent. Is with Europe-more than two
thirds of our total foreign trade is with
Europe. OF our imports from Europe,
valued at s353,SS4,534, only 15,430, ,242 or
4.35 per cent, was carried in American
vessels. OF this, the ships of the Ameri-
can line carried imports valued at $1i,-
Sl3,O33. OF our exports to Europe,
valued at $685. ,O93 but $2755S ,O76, or
1.3O per cent, was carried in American
vessels, the ships of the American line
carrying exports to Europe valued at
$25,O77,749. The value of the imports
and exports carried in the ships of this
line was $39, ,S90,7S2, out of a total of
$l6O,6l2,2O6 carried in all of the Ameri-
can ships engaging in our entire for
eign trade. The ships of this Ameri-
can line carried within a fraction of %
per cent. of all of the imports and eX-
ports of the United States that were
carried in American ships. If, there
fore, the four steamships of the Ameri'
can lne-which rendered such excep-
tional and invaluable auxiliary naval
service to our government during the
war with Spain-can be driven out of
our trade with Europe, the proportion
of our carrying under the American
flag in our trade with Europe will drop
from the present 2.15 per cent of the
total to but 0.2 two-tenths of one) per
cent; that is to say, the foreign ships
now monopolize 97.S5 per cent. of our
carrying with Europe, and are striv-
ing with all of the power and influence
at their command to increase their pro
portion of our carrying to 99.S, leaving
for the stray American vessel that will
dare to venture into that trade, the
carrying of OF of our imports and ex-
our foreign trade, the proportion of the
entire foreign trade of the United
States carried in American vessels
would be reduced from SO to just Z per
cent, leaving for foreign ships the
carrying of SO per cent. of our imports
and exports, and the estimated $780,
100000 in freight earnings that are
taken from the United States each
year. No wonder the foreign steam
ship lines, and all other friends of for
eign shipping, and every enemy of
American shipping concentrate their
opposition on the American line-the
single heroic carrier of the American
flag in our transatlantic trade"
If we are to do our own shipping
some company will have to organize to
do it. The pending bill offers no oppor-
tunities or advantages to the Interna-
tional Steamship company that are not
open to any other organization of
American brains and capital anxious to
go into competition with that company
for share of the American ocean COM
merce. 1t has not yet become a crime
for American shipbuilders to wish to
do more BUSINESS than they are doing
now; nor is it a sin for the govern
ment to help them to get this business
if in so doing the benefit is distributed
among all classes of the American
people.