The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-16

which was transacted under our own flag
illuminated ia 1920 with an average of
o. per cent. In 1880 our percentage was
o30 for imports and So for exports. Ten
years afterward. with eighteen countries
cutting into our carrying ira ie under mar
itime reciprocity agreements, the figure
had fallen to s68 for imports and TO 100
for exports In 1850, when we had mari
time reciprocity with twenty-five countries,
the figures had dropped further to 77s for
imports and ass for exports. At the open
ing of the Civil War. when discrimina, ing
duties In favor Of our own merchant navv
had been nearly all suspended, the figures
stood at 6O for imports ana II for exports.
the proportion in tho case Of exports having
riS'n through the sudden efforts of mer-
chants 10 get cargoes out Of the count y.
Ihus an thit y-five years our average loss
OF carrying trade had been for imports
one per cent. and for xro~ts half OF one
per cent, annually. After the Civil War
therc was temporary reaction and our
carriage somewhat recovered. but since
1870 our loss has been for imports Fl
and Tor exports. 1851 per cent. In 1901
we carried on an average only 81 per cent.
OF our lfnpor,. and exports, the exact
figures being el3 per cent for export car
riage and II 20 per cent for import carriage.
In 1900 treasury Off ,er reported that ia
the trade transacted brtwecn the United
States and Europe dur ing that year not
one American m"rcha 4 vessel went to
or came from Germany, Russia, Sweden
and Norway. Denmark, tho Netherlands,
Italy, Austria, Hungary, Greece or Turkey,
Two small American vessels came TO the
United States from France. one in ballast.
One American sailing vessel came from
Belgium in ballast, and one American
vessel cleared for Spain. There cleared
for or entered from the United Kingdom
Of Great Britain and Ireland eleven Ameri-
can sailing vessels and two small stea IN
sells went to the United Kingdom in ballast
Never before had the American flag been
such q rarity on the mort Atlantic between
the United States and Europe. The mail
steamships st. Louis, ST. Paul and New
York were practically all we had in 1900
on the north Atlantic. This was, indeed,
a meagre and inglorious record for mighty
maritime nation whose annual exportat ion
Of its own products Is valued at a billion
and a half Of dollars, whose imports
Of merchandise are appraised at eight
hundred million.
In the concluding chapter Of this book the
author DISCUSSES the question in what mode
international intercourse may be eqlitably
carried on According to Benjamin Frank
Inns illustration Of fair and equitable
commerce. an individual Of one country
would meet an individual Of another country
hall tray between the two countries. and
thare the two would exchange their mer-
chandise. That IL to say, each nation il
in equity entitled 10 half Il the carri"g g. in
volved in commerce. Henry Clay. DISCUSS
ing. when Speaker Of the House, practical
measures for assuring Americas right to
an equitable share Of the carriage of her
exports and imports. expressed the opinion
that "the most natural course OF the ex-
change of commodities between nations
might be thus defined That each nation
should carry its own products to market
that We should carryof our O. WIN produce W hat
we do not want, but they do to British ports.
and that they should bring what they do
not want. but we do. to our ports" He
thought that tho next and perhaps the
most equal and bost mode of providing for
the free and fair Interchange Of commodities
would he 10 open the trade equally and
rcciprocally to both parties; TO let each
carry the commodities Of both countries in
fair competition There is another mode
of exchange for commodities which was
offered to all nations at the suggestion Of
Norway and Great Britain by our act OF
May ls. 1928. In which We invited universal
competition In free carrying-the shipping
of any nation to carry 10 every nation the
merchandise OF all nations, In other words.
national insignia wera to BE- ignored en-
tirely In the ocean carrying trade. which
was TO be suffered 10 be monopolized by
tho active. the cunning and the strong;
in n word by any nation, however unfit for
such function. that could usurp il. Mr.
Bates points out that III re is yet fourth
mode of exchange, which is a good deal in
vogue among leading nations, namely, to
send vessels for articles Of commerce, par-
ticularly raw materials and food products.
to distant countries, such commodities
being sent thither as will find ready sale
In this way a considerable proportion Of
British commerce has been carried on.
Examining these four modes Of inter-
course, our author dismissss the first bas SEQ
on the principle that each nation should
carry its own products to market, on the
ground that, while 1t would b. fair, II would
be costly. Modern cor mercc includes
transportation. and both commerce and
transportation are based upon the prin.
ciple that profit shall be obtainablc both
ways, ballast being taken neither way.
The second mode of exchange whereby
two countries are allowed each to carry
the commodities of the other as we'll a. Us
own. but not the commodities Of any Other
count ies, was the mode contemplated
by our act of March, 1855, for assuring
maritime reciprocity" with England. Mr..
Bates denounces 1t as faulty in this parti-
cular-that It provides no way TO secure
"A fair competition" but leaves every
thing to chance. The superior Of two ma
tions trading with one another in this man
nor would arrive finally at monopoly
of the business between them This was,
in point Of fact, the result that tho British
aimed at when they insisted upon the adoI-
tion of the principle. Mr.. Rates insists
that before the prlncipe was adopted.
such municipal regulations should hare
been made by the United States as would
assure TO them an equal footing in fact as
well as in law. He thinks that Henry CLAW,
who was n Protcctionist should have fore
seen that his proposal would prove dan
gsrous TO our young republic. The third
mode of exchange by which a govcrnm, ~
agrees TO ALLOW the shipping of any nation