The sun., 1901-10-09
BRIGHT OUTLOOK FOR
AMERICAN SHIPPING
Establishment of Mail Lines to All
Parts of the World Would he Fol-
lowed by Large Merchant Marine.
BY cLEMENT A. GRIscoM.


great lakes and in the coastwisa trade
has attained formidable proportions.
American shipping in the foreign trade is
stationary. Nowadays to make no head
way is TO drop nstern.
II the American capital now invested
in ships in the foreign trade was com
pared with the like investment ten years
ago, the decade would show satisfactory
increase. But this Investment does not
appeal to national pride. Most Of it is
in steamships, built abroad, manned by
foreigners and under foreign flags. 1t
does not represent increased opportuni
ties for American labor In the shipyard
or on the ship 1t does not add to the
nations maritime strength or prestige.
1t differs in one important particular
from the investment of British capital
Ill American railroads which some years
ago helped much to develop the United
States This American money control
ling foreign ships shows that there are
Americans competent to conduct ship
ping enterprises in foreign trade under
modern conditions, and that American
capital is ready to underwrite such ven
lures on the large scale on which, to be
successful, they must be prosecuted.
This American Investment in foreign
-
the surface.
These men and this capital are fore
runners Of other men and more money
that will employ American labor ashore
and afloat and develop American ship
ping in foreign trade when equality Of
trade conditions has been approached. 1t
does not now exist. To establish such
equality the first need is an intelligent
public appreciation of the relations Of
national merchant marine to the general
welfare This sentiment, always strong
in England and France, of late years
powerful in Germany and awakening i'll
Russia and Japan, is just beginning to
make itself felt again in this country
For some years even the need of a mod
ern navy was not realized. No consid-
erable number Of MISUNDERSTANDING
''anti-imperialsts" begrudge our
liberal appropriations for it.
The same enlightened pubic sentiment
will insist that in proportion to its nee
the American merchant marine shall re-
ceive from our government support Mt
least equal to that given by foreign gof.
ernmentS to their lines 1t will not be
satisfied with the conditions disclosed,
for example, by the following, out Of
many facts:
First-That on the Atlantic the Cunar'i
and White Star mail steamers received
last year stronger support from the Brit
ish Government considering all factors
in the situation, than similar American
fleets. had they existed, could have re-
ceiyed under present law from the gov
ernment of the United States.
Second-That on the Pacific the No;th
German LLOYD and Canadian Pacific
81.
nort in actual cash, even ignoring cheap
or cost of building and operating from
tba German and British governments
tbon similar American fleets had they
existed. could have received under pres
ont law from the government OF lh'
United States.
Third-That neither on the Atlantic
nor Pacific has this country American
mail lines to the greater replDacs 81
South America, needed to develop sitls
factory trade relations.
Reference is made to mail lines because
they are the backbone OF a permaiaeh'
and growing international trace.
are followed by regular freight iines, IN,
these in turn by tramp steamers sucl
has been the sequence since the peslh
ming of steam navigation.
shall not discuss here the relative
cost Of building and operating American
and foreign steamers. The tacts tha
American capital in order to invest II
maritime enterprises beyond coastlni
lines. has to so abroad to buy its ship'
and seek the hospitality of foreign flag
to run thcm that foreign capital does no
buy American Ships that the legal i'm
peiment to the registry of foreign
shin is not so important as the fnancla
obstacles; that Germany is increasing he
shipping at the expense Of Great britain
all will be as conclusive to the intelligen
reader as would be the details of RELATIVE
cost of building and operating steamer
in foreign trade, which cannot be pre-
sented in brief space. The principa
reason why the cost of shipbuiding, evel
with occasionally cheaper materials her
than abroad, is greater in the Unite
States has been concisely summed up b
bright naval constructor:
Great Britain manufactures merchan
ships; rs yet we only build them"
The large steamers for the trans
Atlantic trade are now in various stage