Evening star., 1901-12-12
POLITICS AT BANQUE
ADMINISTRATIONS POLICY OUTLINED
AT BOSTON DINNER.
Reciprocity and Ship Subsidy Bills to
BE Pushed-NOted Guests
Present.

Present.
| The Boston Merchants Association met
| at the Hotel Fendome in that city Tuesday
evening in celebra tion of it's twenty-fifth
| anniversary, and was entertained by four
men of national reputation, who made
| spirited addresses, chiefly along political
| lines. Postmaster General Charles Emory
| Smith spoke on reciprocity; Mr.. Kogaro
| Takahira, the Japanese minister, upon the
| subject of Commercial Relations" Sena-
| tor Marcus A Hanna on the ship subsidy
| bill, and Mr.. Henry Watterson of Kentucky
on Kentucky and Massachusetts. These
| were the principal guests, but at the tables
| were many men of state prominence, In
| Guiding General P. A. Collins, mayor-elect
/ of Boston; Representatives Conry and
! Naphen, and Marion Z. Taylor of Louis
| vile, KY.
During the evening General Collins held
| an impromptu reception, and received many
kilograms Of congratulatfon.
/ Lieutenant Governor John L. Bates, the
| first speaker represented Governor Crane
| He extended the welcome of Massachusetts,
Postmaster General Smith followed He
| said, in part:
| president McKinley's last speech. de-
| livered at Buffalo, was the fit elimination
| of his career and teaching. 1t was uncon-
| sciously his farewell address to the Amerf-
| can people. Had it consciously been his
| parting utterance it could not have been
loftier OF nobler legacy. It completed and
crowned hts life work. 1t was his rare
| fortune to be the master spirit of two dis
tinct but associated movements in the ad-
| vance of our republic. He was the fore
most representative of the great American
policy Of industrial upbuilding In the ripe
ness of time, first as leader of the House
| and then as President, he carried the policy
| to full fruition. But he did more. When,
of fhe IA
| claimed reciprocity, the man, the hour and
| the policy met. Reciprocity Is the corollary
| of protection. 1t is not departure, but a
development. ...-..
| President Roosevelt in his great mes
sage, said reciprocity must be treated as
| the handmaiden of protection 1t Is that
and more than that 1t is the offspring
and heritage of protection. And so protec-
| ton and reciprocity go hand in hand.
Reciprocity does not mean the sacrifice
| Of industry in order to help another. Presi-
| dent Mckinley safeguarded ii when at Buf-
falo he advocated sensible trade arrange
| ments which will not interrupt our home
| production This Is the touchstone With
|! this qualification. reciprocity is wise; 1t Is
practicable, looking to both progressive
public sentiment and to trade requirements
| for the future; it is essential.
| 1T does not involve entrance upon gen.
| eral tariff revision, which would be dis
| turbing and unfortunate. 1t only requires
| an intelligent acceptance of the policy and
the adoption of existing legislation by some
| general prOv1SiOnS. Inc nat1On tnat QlS-
/ eliminates against US and gives us no ad-
| vantages should have the maximum; that
nation that meets us literally as any other
| should have the minimum. The President
| might be invested with authority to make
| q reduction or remission Of duties within
| limits and on prescribed conditions. Let
| Congress define the rates and restrictions,
| and then within those restrictions let the
| President as the executive have power to
| deal with the changing demands of trade
or with the sometimes sudden emergencies
of friendly or unfriendly action. With our
| amazing development we cannot be indif-
| ferent to these considerations
| With reciprocity as a measure IN this
advance must be associated another policy
| which President Mckinley united with 1t in
| his last speech. That Is the policy OF an
| American merchant marine. We must aim
| to carry American commerce in American
ships"
Mr. Kogaro Takahira received a genuine
| American welcome, of which he showed his
| appreciation
| Colonel Henry Watterson Of Kentucky
| was greeted with three cheers when he
| arose to speak Of the topic Of "Massachu-
setts and Kentucky" with a word or two
about reciprocity and expansion.
Senator Hanna was the last speaker. He
| confined his remarks entirely to the ques-
| ton Of ship subsidy and the latest bill for
that purpose which has been presented to
Congress. He referred to the fact that the
American nation Is today supreme in the
agricultural and Industrial world. but Is at
the very lowest in regard to its merchant
marine. He referred first to the growth of
| the merchant marine on the Great Lakes.
and said that this had been accomplished,
| first, by our natural advantages, and Sec
ond, by the protection given by the United
States government.
| The eoastwise trade of the country has
| grown almost as rapidly under the same
provisions and the same protection. In
17S0 the first Congress passed laws allow
ing the increase Of the merchant marine.
The tonnage Of the American vessels In
L q h0f ifna yxy0C
| tons After ten years ii had increased TO
534, 600 tens. In 1921 the American ships
| carried SO per cent of the foreign COM
merce. In 1S28 it carried o. 5-10 per cent.
| In 1851 was the highest point we ever
reached. when the American ships carried
2 2386. .S94 tons to foreign ports, and then IT
/ began to decrease It decreased 40 per cent
1 from 1851 to 1865. From the highest point
| In 1881, when we carried 92 per cent, we
| have decreased until today American ships
only carry 80 per cent OF the foreign tom
mage. Senator Hanna said:
/ I'VE are building q magnificent navy ana
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 American merchants into
the pockets Of foreign ship owners Ia <3D0.
00O000 No country on the face Of the globe
could atAnd that drain bat the United
States. and why need we stand 1T We can
see how the subsidy b affecting England In
her war with South Africa Her vessels
have been taken for transporting her troops
and munitions while the raw materials
from our mines. &C. are lying ON our docks
awaiting Transportation abroad"
Mr.. Hanna spoke Of the bHl introduced
/ into ConGresS last year. and declared that