The Washington times., 1902-03-11
Makes a Long Deferred
Speech in the
Senate.
DEFEAT ITS OWN PURPOSE
Says American Shipyards Can Construct
Vessels Now as Cheap as Abroad
England Not Building Up Merchant
Marine by Subsidies.

Senator Vest yesterday made his speech
against the ship subsidy bill. He an
| nounced his intention to talk on the sub
ject week ago. and the Senate has been
waiting for him to express his views with
much interest.
He was listened to with close attention
by the largest representation on both
sides of the Senate Chamber that has been
present since the bill was taken up. He
made the old arguments against the sub
sidy In forcible manner, and aptiy
quoted number of authorities against
the statements Of Senators Frye and Han
ma on important points.
Commissioner Cited Against Himself.
He created some amusement by a1lud-
ing to the Commissioner of Navigation as
the adjutant general of Senators Frye and
Hanna, and then quoting some Of the COM
missioner's old reports and statements.
as his recent utterances-
He denounced as untrue the statement
that Great Britain has built up her COM
mercial supremacy by subsidies. and
! quoted the Commissioner Of Navigation
to the effect that England pays no ship
subsidies.
He asserted that America can build
ships as cheaply as Europe. despite the
assertions of those whom he denominated
as Interesting witnesses" to the CON
.rary. He quoted ]. ]. Hill, the railway
and steamship owner. as saying that ships
can be built as cheaply in this country
as elsewhere. and inserted in his re-
marks a report of the Commissioner ef
Navigation and other papers to show
that the shipyards are at present pros
porous and filled with work.
Benefits of the Subsidy.
Mr. Vest began by eriticising some Of
the statements made by Mr.. Frye in his
presentation Of the subject to the SEN
ate last week. He said that the result
of the Hanna-Frye bill was to increase
largely the subsidy of the American line
of steamships, which did not carry farm
products, but manufactured luxuries
which came not from the farmers but
from the trusts.
The pending bill, he said. openly and
ayowedly proposed to accomplish the
same result The Senator from Maine
had said the other day that trade must
follow the mail, whereas the fact was.
said Mr.. Vest, that the mail must follow
the trade. He characterized the bill as
proposing "a pure, naked, unadulterated
subsidy"
In denying Mr.. Frye's statement that
England and other maritime nations have
built up their merchant marine by Pay
ing subsidies. Mr.. Vest said:
England Pays No Subsidies.
1.-The Senator from Maine asserted that
ENGLAND has SO per cent of the carrying
trade of the world. and that this great
commerce has been built up oy subsidies
1 deny this.
England has So per cent of the carry
ing trade, but she does not pay one cent
of subsidy. She pays slarge sums to mail
steamers but these payments are by the
ounce of mail carried.
1.-The only two subsidized lines between
Europe and New York are a French line
and a United States line. Which plan is
il better to follow. the subsidy plan OF
France or the British plan, which has
no subsidies, but which has not prevented
the building up of such vast commerce!
1.-The large sum paid by Great Britain
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