Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1901-01-18
Their Importance in the Transport
tation of Perishable
Products.
UHFOUSOEO OPPOSITION TO SUBSIDIES.
Value of ocean Flyers to the Gov
eminent In Time OF Peace or War
-BuiId Up the Nations Ocean
Trade and Augment Its Naval
Power.
LSnecial Corresnondence ]


Considerable opposition to the payment
OF subsidies to swift American steamships
has developed in the press of the country.
The statement has been widely circulated
that these ships merely carry passengers
abroad 10 spend American money, and TO
bring back wines and silks for luxurious cit
liens, and that such ships, so employed, are
Of no help TO American commerce. What
Is wanted, these opponents declare is car
70 carriers, the iowpowered steamships
that take cargoes wherever they offer and
carry them wherever they are consigned,
regardless OF established lines. And these
are the ships, they 20 on and assert. that
have given Great Britain her prominence
as maritime power
All this sounds plausible and somewhat
logical, and if not analyzed by those hav-
ing knowledge Of the facts, helps to create
an unfavorable and hurtful sentiment to-
ward the shipping bill now pending IN
congress which properly considers swift
steamships, as well as slow ones. AS mat
ter of fact, the swift steamships carry those
products from the United States that are
the most valuable. and, in many cases, the
most peri shable. Were 1t not for the fast
steamship California fruits growing
business-cou.d not be exported TO Europe;
with them, the expectation Of Pacific coast
fruits steadily grows and prospers. All
kinds of dressed meats, ham, bacon, lard
and an infinite variety of agricultural or
farm products, that have gone through va
rious stages Of manufacture are sent abroad
an swift ships.
Swift ships carry the mails; and it is es-
sental that the mails he carried with the
utmost rapidity. Invariably swift ships are
parts Of regularly established lines, and
.hey make regular and frequent voyages TO
and from their terminal points. The swift
er, the greater the more powerful the ships,
the more profitable their use is to their re-
spective terminal countries, but the truth
Is the less remune rative they all are to their
owners They carry the most expensive
cargoes that 20 both ways, the manufac-
lures upon which .abor and skill have been
expended, and which return the largest
sums TO their producers.
But these are the ships, the large, pow
erfui, swift ocean flyers, that are most use
ful 10 the nation in time Of war. They are
al once available as carriers Of important
dispatches, in cases where celebrity - of the
utmost Importance they are useful az AUX
iliary cruisers, they can be quickly trans
formed into cruisers and then prey upon
and destroy the enemy's commerce.; they
can act as scouts for fleets, and keep them
informed regarding the movements Of the
enemy, keeping in touch with the enemy
and Guiding capture through their swift
ness This was wei illustrated by the four
great ships Of the only American line in the
transatlantic trade, during our war with
Spain. They were steaming at full speed
between 500 and 600 miles day, far out
upon the Atlantic, keeping watch for
SPAIN cruisers, ready TO report them to the
flying squadron al Hampton Roads. 1t was
this scouting work. so effectively done,
that compelled Spain TO send Cervera far
10 the south. when but for them Ceryera
might have threatened If not seriously and
irreparab.y injured our great Atlantic and
Gulf seapOrts.
The swift steamships are the nearest at
taInment 20 the ideal, the contamination Of
the highest hopes of the artists engaged in
their construction, al once an effective dem
onstration Of mans best handiwork, and al
the same time an invaluable aid 10 the ma
tion when most in need OF aid Such ships
are the final outgrowth Of regularly estab.
lished lines where trade has been built
up az great expense. after many years OF
faithful effort, and through a service that il
thorough, complete and attractive. They
are the best Of their kind and nation whose
people fail 10 appreciate them does not
grasp the full significance nor the ful! value
OF sea power.
The socalied tramp steamships, the YES
se.s that carry oargo,s wherever destined,
are merely the carriers of the surplus car
goes that accumulate after harvesting, or a
exceptional times, when the regular lines
are oyercrowded But it is the regular lines
that build up a nations trade never the
tramp, and they often do ID for years at
loSs. until they are thorough established
and have accumulated a paying business.
And Brtain's sea power lies IN her great
steamship lines, not N her ~tramps