Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-11
A NOTABLE BANQUET
National Issues Discussed by
 National Leaders.
HANNA ON SHIPPING SUBSIDY BILL

The Senator Says the $2OO, ,OOO, ,OOO
 Now Paid Annually to Foreign
 Shipowners Is Drain No Ma
 ton but Ours Could stand.
 BOSTON, Dec. 11.-In celebration of it's twenty-fifth anniversary the Bos- ton Merchants association met at the yendome last evening and were enter tained by four mea of national reputa- ton with spirited addresses, chiefly along political lines. Postmaster Gener- al Charles Emory Smith spoke on reel procity; Hon. Kogaro Takahira, the Japanese minister, upon the subject Of ..Commercial Relations;' Senator Mar GUS A. Hanna on the ship subsidy bill and Hon. Henry Watterson of Ken lucky on Kentucky and Massachu- Setts" These were the principal guests, but at the tables were many men of state prominence and also Hon. F. A. Collins, mayor elect of Boston; Congressmen Conry and Naphen and Marion E. Taylor of Louisville, Ky. Simple decorations of floral charac- ter besides the American and Japanese flags lent beauty to the banquet hail, while orchestral music added to the in terest
 Senator Hanna was the last speaker and confined his remarks entirely to the question of ship subsidy and the latest bill for that purpose which has been presented to congress. He re ferred to the fact that the American nation is today supreme ill the agri- cultural and industrial business of the world, but is at the very lowest in re- gard to it's merchant marine. He re- ferred first to the growth of the mer- chant marine on the great lakes ana said that this had been accomplished, first, by our natural advantages, and, second, by the protection given by the United States government
 The coastwise trade of this country has grown almost as rapidly under the same provisions and the same protec- ton. In 17S9 the First congress passed laws allowing the increase of the mef- chant marine. The capacity of the American vessels in the foreign trade at that time was 123,S93 tons. After ten years it had increased to 534,0o0 tons. In 1921 the American ships car ried SS per cent of the foreign con- merce. In 1926 it reached the high wa ter mark and carried 92 5-10 per cent. In 1861 was the highest point we ever reached, when the American ships car ried ?. .396. .S94 tons to foreign ports and then it began to decrease. It decreased 40 per cent from 1861 to 1865. From the highest point in 1861, when we car ried 92 per cent, we have decreased until today American ships only carry $ per cent of the foreign tonnage.
 We are building a magnificent navy and shall continue until we are second to no nation. We should also build something for that navy to defend. The amount now paid annually by Ameri- can merchants into the pockets of for eign shipowners is S2o0, 100000 No country on the face of the globe could stand that drain but the United States. And why need we stand it? We can see how the subsidy is affecting Eng land and her war with South Africa. Her vessels have been taken for trans, porting her troops and munitions, while the raw materials from our mines, etc, are lying on our docks awaiting transportation abroad.
 Mir. Hanna spoke of the bill intro duced into congress last year and de last Monday had been simpiified and modified to meet the objections to the former one.