The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-13
DEPEW ON SUBSIDY.
Senator Makes a Speech in Favor of
the Shipping Bill.

the shipping Bill.
Washington, March 13.-The ship sub
sidy bill occupied practically the entire
time of the senate Wednesday.
Mr.. DeDew addressed the senate in
favor of the bill. Senators had critics.
ed the bill, he said, but none of them
had submitted any plan by which this
country could have a mail service which
would be equal to that of Great Britain,
Germany or France. He maintained
that this country was contributing mil
lions of dollars annually to increase
still further the mail facilities and en-
large the merchant narine of those
competing countries, thus placing farth-
err off the distance which the American
merchant marine must traverse before
it can be equal to that of the countries
named
I'VE are looking forward to that po-
sition which we are entitled to as a
world power said Mr.. Depew, but. us
a matter of fact, we are crippled be-
cause we cannot open the communica-
lions which are necessary to accomplish
that commercial result without the ac-
tive assistance of the subsidized ships
of our rivals in business.
ut is a curious fact" said he, that
while our friends, the enemy, referring
to the Democratic senators, ARE so sem
sitive about the expenditure of million
dollars a year to perfect our mail SER
vice to places where we hope to nave
comm cree, they vote for the carrying OF
mail on profitable mail lines in the do
nestle service.
He presented figures to show that the
arguments of the opponents of the bill
as to the prosperity of American snip
yards were not we'll founded. He de-
clared that vessels aggregating eighty
three thousand tons had been construct
ed in American shipyards for the for
eign trade during the last ten yaers,
while in Great Britain. during one year
the last year available in statistics
liz million tons of ships had been con-
Structed. He suggested that the differ
ence between these figures were so ex-
traordinary that the opposition senators
ought to post them up in their commit
tee rooms as constant reminder of the
decline of the American merchant
marine.
Mr.. Bacon of Georgia suggested that.
in order to be fair and accurate. the
figures of the American construction
ought to include the vessels built for
the United States for coastwise trade.
These figures Mr.. Depew did not give,
but he said they would add not very
materially to the total
Referring incidentally to the present
situation in New York Mr. Depew said
one of the greatest handicaps to the ma
tional Democracy had been in Tam
many. He said great hope had been
builded upon the fact that a brilliant
and cultivated gentleman recently had
been placed at the head of the Tam
many organization This wSs Lewis
Nixon, an American shipbuilder.
Mr.. Depew then quoted from a paper
read by Mr.. Nixon before a recent an
nual meeting of an association of naval
architects, in the course of which he
said that when the United States was
in position to build several hundred
merchant ships every year this country
would be able to compete with foreign
shipyards. Until such demand was
unable to compete successfully with
ship construction in foreign yards.
Give us the means" said Mr.. Depew,
by which American ships may be run
q we
will build the ships in competition with
foreign shipyards.''
The New York senator said he did
not know whether Mr.. Pierpont Nor
gan had purchased the 1eyland line of
ships or not but if he had it was be-
cause the line could be operated at a
profit. He did not know anything con- |
corning the statement that Mr.. Nor |
gan had expressed no intention of |
bringing the vessels under the Ameri- |
can flag. and giving them American |
register. Mr. Morgan and those whom |,
he represented, said Mr.. Depew, We're |
acute business men. If they could af- |
ford to fly the American flag over their |
vessels they would so so, but they could |
not be expected to fly the American flag |
when by so doing they would be forced |
to run their ships at loss.
81 400 0 GOO had bee1 invest r Depew sald,
can capitalists in manufa curing Industries /
roads and mines Similar immense sums /
had not gone into American shipping be- 1
cause nSureS could not De produced which /
would show the investor that he could get |
his money back not to mention fair re- /
turn upon his investment.
Mr.. Depew referred to the subsidies pa id !
by Great Britain, Germany and France as
having contributed largely to the extern !
sion of the merchant marine of those ma
tions
One of the most enlightened and pro-
gressive rulers of the old world" said he,
lis the present emperor of Germany. With
in the last ten years he has brought Ger
many to practically a unanimous support
of subsidies by which the German mer-
hos ~raifl
of Great Britain
WHAT FIVE YEARS MAY BRING.
No dissenting voice was heard now
among the German leaders against the
value of those subsidies, Germany is COM
mercially independent. for now wherever |
the German merchant went he was fol-
lowed by the German subsidized mails and
vessel That enlightened policy