The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1901-01-19
ADVANCEMENT OF OUR OCEAN TRADE.
Dement'S 70 ne Derived By Americas
Producers Through the Operations
Of Such syStem-Who the Oppo-
nents Of the Bill Are-some signtn-
cant Facts for the People.
Especial Correspondence

been too wild, no untruth too ridiculous,
., NO innuendo too base, no assertion of venal
fly too absurd, to fail of use in the hands OF
these malignant opponents of American in
terestp When the shipping bill 6rst came
before congress, the suggestion was made
That swift ocean steamships were what were
most needed, mail carriers, vessels avsn-
able as auxiliary crnisers-ocean gray
hounds, in short; and II was alleged that
the slow cargo carriers could take care Of
themselves, that they needed no axssStapcS
they were profitable : .e- PRESENT condi
lions, and similar arguments.
When it was pointed out that there was
reason for government aid for slow ships,
Carrying only cargoes, because they were
at a disadvantage in cost Of construction, il
American built, and at further disadvan-
Gage in cost of operation, if run by American
officers and seamen and eremen, and this
truth became known, then the enemy
turned right-about-face and declared that
The ships that are needed to build mp the
American merchant marine are the cargo
-tArriers, the vessels that take away our
farm products, and not the swift passen-
ger steamships The enemies Of the shipping
bill have blown hot and blown cold, all IN
She same breath, and the pity u that the
American people are SO utterly uninformed
regarding the real facts concerning Amer
ican shipping-concerning any sh,ppng-
shat they have been easily duped into be
Geving the most extravagant things that
mind could concoct in order to fight and de-
feat the passage of the shipping bill.
Az matter of fact the shipping bill %
carefully drawn, on the most scientific
lines, drawn 30 as to barely enable Amer
tcan-built and American-manned ships 10
compete with foreign ships on terms OF
equality, and this is true Of fast ships and
of dow ships, Of steamships and Of calling
Ships-of any kind of American ships en-
gazing in the foreign carrying trade Of the
United Sthates. The Disadvantages they
labor under, because of higher cost in con-
g struction, and because Of higher cost OF OPP
GRAFTON and because of the subsidies and
bounties given by foreign governments to
their merchant ships, have been carefully
reduced to dollars and cents, and the
amount of compensation provided in the
bill just offsets these Disadvantages. With
out discussing the details Of payments
this truth may be relied upon, no matter
what stories the enemy circulates in oppo-
sition.
And now, who are these enemies! Surely
they must be those whose interests viii
suffer, or whose theories will be dis
proved, if a bill is passed sufficiently effect
ive to encourage the construction Of Amer
1can- built ships. These interests and these
theorists are the foreign shipowners, their
agents in this country, and the free trad
ers. Foreign ships now monopolize the car
Tying of 81 per cent. of our imports and ex-
serts, and they take away from this coun-
.Ia,Sully $l50,000,000 in gold or its equiv
charosssch year just for their freight
mt on ,M American ships are built and
tbass ora;cSceap, they will compete with
cosa 81 ns;ps they will reduce the
MANUFACTURES sbrcat farm products and our
freight rate war upon ttshey will force q
fierce and prolonged and dSSean .hal WI ~ 10
will be ever expanding oppS w.n ."e ele
our people to increase their expSS. , LUZ
cure and hold new foreign markets ~ %
surplus products. Naturally these fofRseir
shipping interests will fight the shipping b.
TO the death, and they are known to be do
3ng it in every way in their power.
The other enemies, equally as active, and
supported by those first mentioned, are the
free traders. American ships upon the sea
have been unprotected in operation for 4(
years, and their tonnage has decreased by
two-thirds, while our commerce has in
creased fourfold. Only by protecting oul
chips, as our land industries have been pro
tected against foreign competition, can they
make head against foreign chips. The free
traders fear another triumph of the Amer
lean pro- tive policy. Taking advantage
of this element of opposition, the foreign
shipping interests are supplying the Reform
club of New York with money in unlimited
quantities to circulate its free-trade Liter.
ature in opposition to the shipping bill. And
this tells the whole story of the sources Of
opposition 10 the shipping bil
1.-THE American people are not 80 partic-
ular whether this or that particular bill ID
passed to build up American shipping, as
they are that some effective measure be
put upon our statutes, at once, that will ac-
complish this very desirable result. The
people feel that it il the duty of con-
gress to enact such measure without fur
ther delay.
D"Undoubtedly there 10 a majority Of
the senate in favor Of the bill, says the New
York Times, in an editorial urging demo-
cratic senator's to resort to every possible
device TO prevent a vote being taken on
the bill. When the enemy 10 compelled to
thwart the majority will, they are subvert-
Ing the government 10 their own enQ4-Lo
the desires Of the minority.
DThe great bulk of the people cannot
be expected to know whether the details
Of this or that bill are best adapted to put
American ships upon the seas in sufficient
number to do American carrying. They
leave that for congress TO determine. But
they do desire, and that unanimously and
emphatically, that congress shall no longer
delay doing ito full duty In this respect.
The people are looking for resultA
OOficial figures show that Great Bril-
ain spends each year $500, 900 more on her
subsidies to British steamships than she
gets for sea postage on British mAilh The
United States, on the other hand, gets
81 100000 more for sea postage on its mails
each year than 1t spends in subsidies 10
both American and foreign steamshipA
And yet there are those who say that
Great Britain don't pay subsidies 70 b.
hips.