The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-05-18

United states. They carefully refrain
from stating what those obsolete navi-
CATION laws are. Those laws require
thar the captain. all Of the officers and
portion OF the men on American YES
sells shall be American citizens or per
sons who have declared their intention
to become citizens, They also limit the
coasting trade to vessels built In the
United States or repaired here to large
percentage ~ their value tiy.ng the
American flag. owned by American cit
liens ani with American officers, Our
foreign trade IS open to the ships Of
any nation. built anywhere. and flying
the fag Of any recognized maritime ma
ton. There is nothing in those laws
to preven; Mr., Morgan or anyone else
buying ships IN Great Britain or else
where. and employing them in the for
eisn carrying trade from any American
port.
These Democratic and assistant Dem
ocratic opponents % the shipping sub
siiy bill insist ,ha; our navigation laws
should be repealed, in order that Mr.,
Morgan or anyone else NAV De enabled
to buy British sh,ps and with British or
other foreign officers and crows engage
in our coasting trade in competition
with American ships and American
crews, In this manner say they. the
American merchant marine win be re-
habnitated.
In this. as in all free trade arguments.
there is the custo nary ignoring OF the
facts of recorded history. In the coast
ing trade. limited TO American ships.
the United States has bull, up 4 fleet
of vessels secoli only to those Of
Gree; Britain. On the high seas, in the
ocean carrying trade, the American
fleet has steadily dwindled until at the
Close Of the fiscal year Of 1900 it was
less than one-half as large in tonnage
as /; was in 1852. II is loudly pro
claimed by the opponents Of aid TO
American shipping iha, ships can be
built as cheaply in the United States
as anywhere in the world. Now the ar
gument stands: The United States has
steadily and for more than a generation |
retrogrlded as a carrier Of ocean borne |
commerce. while builiing up a magnif- |
cent fleet in the protected coastwiSe |
trade. AS the United States has proved 4
unable to compete with other nations. /
paying smaller wages, on the high seas. /
the way TO insure the growth ots its
ocean merchant marine is to permit
those same foreigners to enter into the
coasting trade with their cheaply built
and cheaply manned vessels As the
ocean carrying Iraie has been rendered
50 profitable by foreign competition
that We have been forced 70 withdraw
from it. We can speedily make It profit
able by surrendecing our coastwise
rade to the same competitors.
Along the same lines, the present
Democratic position is that, as certain
'ery wealthy Americans have purchased
stock in a foreign steamship corpora
ion. We would aid largely in the Gre
Ition Of a seafaring population Of our {
,wn if We should give to the vessels Of
his corporation. with their cheaply- {
,aid foreign officers and crews, all OF
he privileges which We now extend to
american ships, built, differed and
manned by our own citizens. This is
'ainfullv like all free-trade argument
he burden Of which Is that It is COM
nercially more profitable TO give than
q racaiva