The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-01-25
How Senator Depew Views the
Ship Subsidy Bill.
Addresses the Senate in Sup
port of the Measure.
MR.TOWNE WILL SPEAK
Supporting a Resolution Grant
ing FiIipinos Independence
House Adopts Conference Re-
port on the Army Bill.

Washington. Jan. 25.-In the senate
this morning Mr.. Towne fMinn) offered
the following joint resolution:
That justice. the public welfare and
the national honor demand the imme-
diate cessation Of hostilities in the Phil
ippine islands. upon terms recognizing
The Independence OF the Philippine peo-
pie and consel wing and guaranteeing
the interests of the United States
Mr.. Towne asked that the resolution
lie on the table. and gave notice on
Monday he would address the Senate
upon il.
Mr.. Depew CN- " then addressed the
senate on the shipping bill Senator
Depew began with a survey of the coun-
try's first century Of development, point
ing out the immense material progress
that had been made in agriculture and
manufactures. how our exports had
grown to S1.5O0000 600 annually in ex-
cess Of cur imports. and now the IN
ternal lines Of communication had been
developed into the most comprehensive
in the world. But he insisted that the
development of the country had been
one-sided- While prepared to feed and
clothe half Of the world outside the
United States we had developed our
transportation system only to our own
coast line. and had allowed our mer-
chant marine to remain undeveloped so
that there was actually a greater tom
mage Of American vessels built in this
than in 1900. said Mr.. DepeW.
-'rhe farm. the factory and the mine
have filled the warehouses and the docks
Of our Atlantic and Pacific coasts with
their contributions to national wealth,
employment and the happiness Of our
people and left their transportation to
Europe, TO Asia, to Africa. to South
America and to Australia TO the greed
Of foreign ship owners. TO the protection
Of foreign flags and to the hazards of
foreign wars
"A general collision, which is often
predicted in the European newspapers,
among the great powers of Europe in
the mad haste Of their navies and
armies to outstriD one another in the
acquisition Of spheres Of influence in
Asia ana Africa. would act upon the
United States who might simply be a
spectator Of the conflict. as an embargo
upon cur coast We would be shut up
within ourselves as absolutely as if
the navies of the world were blockading
our ports
Looking to the remedy for the present
stagnation in the American merchant
marine. Mr.. Depew said the cry OF free
ships had long ago been discounted. 1t
was not to be considered as a remedy
for it left out OF the question the Amer
lean ship building industry The plan
Of discriminating duties. he said. was
alsO impractica ble. France had tried it
and been forced to repeal her law with
in a year. NO nation would submit to
discriminating duties without retail
iatinE against us. and no nation like
ours which iS more of a seller than a
buyer. can afford. to provoke such re-
taliation and thus stimulate production
in Russia. India. Egypt and Asia
against our cotton and our corn
The speakers conclusion was that
there remained only the subsidy as a
practical solution of the problem. Said
he. "All nations are agreed that their
merchant marine can be built up only
by bounties- The bounues paid last year
by the different maritime nations were
S26. 600. 000 IN round numbers against
81 200 COO by the United States. German
statesmen discovered that if the empire
was TO ind market for its growing
surplus it must have its own ships.
Within the past few years the German
government has been increasing direct
ly its subsidies and has lent every pos
sible governmental encouTa cement to
the enlargement of German ship yards
AID the construction and operation Of
German steamships
The result has been that Germany has
come TO the fore and taken rank as a
maritime power. although she has little
coast and few ports The building up
OF the American shipping industry he
said, would mean the direct employ
ment OF 100000 men in shipbuilding op-
erations beside the immense indirect aid
that It would give to all lines of iron
and steel production in this country
As to the adequacy of the present
measure to meet the requirements of
the case. Mr. DepeW said 1T was to his
mind as fair a solution of the problem
as could be- devised ar present
It il estimated, said Senator DepeW.
that there is paid by American prOduc-
ers to foreign ship owners in freight
charges at least SITE. 600 900 a year Four
per cent on this would give us a mer-
chant marine and the expenditure OF
much the larger part Of this money in
our own country"
It is undoubtedly true said Senator
DepeW. in conclusion that America n
ocean liners were more expensive to
build and maintain than those of foreign
countries. Without subsidies they We're
operated at a loss If with the small
subsidy proposed they would Weld enor-
nous profits as some opponents of TIE
shipping bill declared there would he . >,
abundance of money flow into the SHIN
building business TO take ADVANTAGE n
this fresh opportunity for profitable in
vestment
Finally he said. with the constrno
tion Of the Nicaraguan canal which VIII
be completed within the next few wears
the necessity for an auxiliary feet ana
a merchant marine becomes still erea+
.er. whether we look at this question as
a matter Of national defense in time oe
war. or consider II as one of the factors
IN the solution OF our Industrial uroh
lems as they arise from time TO tira
or sum up the possibilities for the
American farm and factory and rnina
ln the wants present and potential ~
the millions in the Orient the benefce-r
influence Of this measure becomes more
real"
IN THE HOUSE.
Washington. Jan 25--The conference
has been agreed to hy ne ho4lsa Thz
vote ON the adoption 0f the report bairs
13s to 10a.
When the house met today Nr. Hun.