The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1900-06-22
AMAZING FIGURES
PROPORTION OF OUR IMPORTS
AND EXPORTS
From and To Europe Carried In Ameri-
can ships-Foreign Attack Conferred
On Only American Line In That
Trade.

House Merchant Marine and Fisheries
Committee, Alexander r. Smith or
New York, former member OF the
New York Commerce Commission
answers an attack on the Ship Subsidy
Bill. which has been favorably reported
to each branch of Congress. Mr.. Smith
openly charges that the foreign ship
ping interests aided by the free traders
and other enemies of American ship
ping, are striving with might and
main to destroy the one American line
now engaging in our trade with Eu-
In his letter, Mr.. Smith says in part:
"Mr. Peabody's assertion that the
cream of the subsidy is designed to fall
to those vessels of the International
Steamship Company is not only err
roneous, but seems purposely designed
to prejudice the public against that
line-the only line, by the way, en-
gagged in our trade with Europe under
the American flag. This line has been
singled out for the most virulent, ma
lignant and frequent attacks ever since
the shipping bill has been before the
public 1t has been asserted, but with
out word of truth. that it is con-
trolled by the Standard Oil and the
Pennsylvania Railroad companies.
THAT line has been pictured as part
of a monopolistic trust, whereas II Is
battling, single handed and alone,
against the most powerful steamship
lines in the world. These other lines
all under foreign fags-are backed
I'D with unlimited wealth and the sup
port of their several governments to
whatever extent may be necessary to
enable them to successfully compete
for the transatlantic trade.
1.-THE American line in question is
struggling at considerable pecuniary
loss to succeed and to still further in
| crease its tonnage under the Stars and
| Stripes in the face of this concentrated
and united opposition. In doing so II
has been subjected to the unbridled
abuse Of every free trader, every Tree
trade newspaper, every enemy OF
American shipping, and every defender
of foreign shipping, in the United
States.
IF the stockholders OF this line are
ready to invest still further in Amerl-
can ships, in the hope Of ultimately
earning a profit, and are ready to SUD-
ject themselves to the fiercest and
most concentrated competition OF the
most wealthy and powerful ships In all
the world under foreign flags, the
American people will applaud and
commend them.
1.-THE deadly purpose of this opposl-
ton 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
vailed at 1858, SS4,534, only $15,4SO,24z'
or 4.35 per cent, was carried in Amerl-
can vessels. Of this. the ships OF the
American line carried imports valued
at S14,S19,OSS. OF our exports to Eu-
rope, valued at 1886, 602,O93, but ST.
55S, O76, or 100 per cent, was carried In
American vessels, the ships OF the
| American llue ylb6 SAPOAeo w ~>
rope valued at $25,O77749.
"The value of the imports and ex-
ports carried in the ships of this line
was $39, 1882, out of total OF $751;
612,206 carried in all Of the American
ships engaging in our entire foreign
trade. The ships of this American line
carried within fraction of rs per cent
of all of the imports and exports OF
the United States that were carried IN
American ships. IT, therefore, the
four steamships of the American line
which rendered such exceptional ana
invaluable auxiliary naval service TO
our government during the war WIN
Spain-can be driven out of our trade
with Europe, the proportion OF our
carving under the American flag In
our trade with Europe will drop from
the present 215 per cent of the total
to but or 1.-TWO tenths of one) per cent.
That is to say, the foreign ships now
monopolize 97.S5 per cent of our carry
ing with Europe, and are striving
with all the power and influence at
their command to increase their pro-
portion of our carrying to 1913, leaving
for the stray American vessel that Will
dare to venture into that trade, the
carrying of OF of our imports and ex-
ports! By driving these ships out Oh
our foreign trade, the proportion OF
the entire foreign trade of the United
States carried in American vessels,
would be, reduced from S.9 to just
per cent, leaving for foreign ships the
carrying of SO per cent OF our imports
and exports, and the estimated $2OO,-
100000 in freight earnings that are
taken from the United States each
year.
mo wonder" concluded Mr.. Smith
in discussing this portion of his re-
ply, 1.-THE foreign steamship lines, and
all other friends of foreign shipping
and every enemy of American snip
ping, concentrates his opposition on
the American line-the single heroic
carrier of the American flag in our
transatlantic trade"