The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-11-16
The c4merican ~
~ eMercbant SNarine.

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The story Of the United States navy has often
been told. The no less interesting account OF
the merchant service has found few historians,
yet IN romance courage, patriotism and actual
worth 10 our country the record OF the merchant
marine does not fall below that OF the better
known and more appreciated war navy. To meet
an actual need Winthrop L. Marvin has written
an interesting history, The Merchant Marine"
giving an account Of the service from r6so TO
1909
The dazzling sea ttiumphs Of the Spanish war
have again turned the attention OF Americans
with special interest to the sea In the early
days Of America shipbuilders and seainen we're
at premium There was a demand for ships
and the demand was met. The early settlements
chung TO the shore. The ocean was the best
highway between the colonies II furnished them
abundance OF food and found them market
for their lumber, fish and rum As early az
i64t the Pilgrims passed a law insisting on
thoroughness i'll ship building and nlietiug heavy
penalties for defects in material or workman
ship. This demand for excellence counted more
to the advantage OF shipping than any number
OF subsidies could have done. The result was
that soon prosperous trade was carried on not
only with the West Indies, but with various
countries of Europe. By 1908 Sir Joshua Child,
a typical Seventeenth century British economist
wrote public protest against the successful in
dustries carried on in America and closed his
argument by saying There is nothing more
prejudieial and in prospect more dangerous to
any mother kingdom than the increase of ship
ping in her colonies, plantations or provinces"
So far from aiding or protecting the infant colo
nies in their industries the mother country
century before the time OF Lord North WAS al
ready jealous of the trade carried on by Amer-
can ships in foreign ports,
Az the breaking out of the revolution there
were people in Northern New England en-
gagged in ship building and in navigation than
there we're in agriculture. and Massachusetts,
was said 70 own one sca-going vessel for every
100 Of its inhabitants. The merchant vessel
Of that day usually went TO sea armed for its
own protection, carrying larger crews than
would be required for the ordinary ships work in
order 20 man the guns and swivels against pirates
or National enemies. These private armed ships
proved a godsend during the revolution, for
the continental navy was for the most part small
and weak, The American privateers Of 1zzS-
So captured or destroyed three times as many
OF the eneuy's ships as did our frigates and
sloops of war. II was not strange that Ameri-
can shipping declined Immediately after the
revolution. England was bent on doing her ut
most 70 hinder commerce and in addition
to this an American ship was at that time little
more than an lshmae Of the ocean. Il had
flag, but nothing else There was no efficient
government TO protect Il there were no consus
to guard its interest in foreign ports and no line
of battleships frgates TO shield it from an
enemy. II was not remarkable then that the
FIRST act Of the first congress Of the United |
States was in reference to protective tariff aid
ing ship owners and seamen From 1901 70 the
close Of Our second war with England in 1915
was a period OF almost batbaric lawlcssness upon
the ocean It forced the American sailor 70
bravery, solf-reliance aptitude for firearms and
general readiness m These
qualities proved saving grace in the war OF
1872, when our privatcers counted more than
our navy and successfully dehed or captured Brit.
ish merchantmen.
The Yankee Whaemen" is an interesting
chapter Whaling was the grim business OF
stern and iron men II involved the taking OF
desperate chances and il proved to be perfectly
adapted 70 the blended audaoity and tenacty OF
the American temperament II was for many
years an important source Of National wealth
and It bore part and a strong part IN the
molding OF the National character The decay
of the whaling industry came on partly be-
cause Of the decrease in the number Of whales
partly because Of the increased use Of petroleum
and partly owing TO the general decline OF the
American merchant marine
Mr. Marvin finds the years between is46 and
1860 the most important in the history of our
merchant service. This period is memorable for
the appearance Of splendid lines of Transatlantic
steamships and for the exploits Of Yankee clip
pers. Before the civil war the decline had be-
gun The author takes partisan view in regard
to the causes of this decline and censures the
American people for not protecting in artificial
way their shipping industries. He emphasizes
this point strongly that the reader begins TO
question whether the book purporting to be a
history and romance of the merchant service is
not a campaign document in disguise So urgent
is the plea near the close for National aid TO
shipping that the reader feels the same kind Of
imposition he does in reading a story which |
ends in an advertisement. In this case the ruse |
is not successful and is a serious injury to the
Chronicle.
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