The San Francisco call., 1901-10-04
OUR MERCHANT MARINE,

that Senator Frye has been in conference
- with leading Senators and business men for
the purpose OF framing merchant marine bill which
will be adequate to the needs of the country and at
the same time satisfactory to those Republican Sen
ators whose objections prevented the passage of the
shipping bill at the last session The report says the
changes to be made from the former bill are not ex-
pected to be important; they will not touch the
principle involved but will merely alter some minor
details upon which the opponents Of the measure
have heretofore hung their objections
1t is gratifying to learn that the conferences have
been such as to justify Senator Frye to expect the
passage of merchant marine bill at the coming
sion. He will have his new measure ready for pre-
sentatiOn about soon Congress meets, so that
it can be promptly taken up and acted upon. Sew
eral Of the former opponents of the
nounced to have already declared a willingness to
support the modified BILL so that the outlook for OBJ
tanning the legislation needed to develop Our ship
ping upon the high is much brighter than ever
before
1t is certainly high time something should be done
We producing in many lines of manufacture
much more than our own people can consume, and
accordingly we have to find markets for such goods
in addition to the agricultural products have so
long been exporting. The new expansion of our
trade brings into direct competition with the great
manufacturing countries of the world and must
meet that competition suffer. The Germans long
since perceived the advantage Great Britain was
drawing from her hold upon ocean commerce, and
they set about building merchant marine of their
own The consequence has been that remarkable
development of German industry and trade which is
one of the salient features of the history of the last
twenty five years
In his speech made at Buffalo just before his as
sassination President Mckinley said: Next in ad-
vantage to having the thing to sell is to have the
convenience to carry it to the buyer. We en-
| courage merchant marine. We must have more
ships. They must be under the American flag
built and manned and owned by Americans. These
will not only be profitable in commercial sense
they will be messengers of peace and unity wherever
they GO.
Under any circumstances the sound craftsmanship
and sense that expressed in those words
would have for them the approval of thinking
men, but they have now an added significance since
they come to as something like the last political
viii and testament of the great to whom Ameri
can industry and the American people owe much
1t was not subj ject to him. In his last mes
sage to Congress he sad American vessels during
the past three years have carried about per cent Of
our exports and imports. Foreign ships should carry
the least not the greatest part of American trade
The remarkable growth of steel industries the
progress Of shipbulding for the domestic trade and
our steadily maintained expenditures for the navy
| have created opportunity to place the United
States in the first rank of commercial maritime pow
ers. Besides realizing proper national aspiration
this will the establishment and healthy growth
along our coasts of distinctive national industry
expanding the field for the profitable employment Of
labor and capital
President Roosevets declaration of an intention
to carry out McKinley's policy in its entirety can
leave doubt of his willingness to approve any
well considered designed to bring about in
our merchant marine the Improvement which his
great predecessor so much desired. 1t would seem,
therefore, that at last the Republican party is about
to fulfill its pledges to the people this subject and
that American commerce will not much longer have
to seek transportation in foreign ships.