Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-12
FROM A FRENCH VIEW
The Merchant Marine of the
United States.
AN ECONOMIC CHANGE
CAUSES OF THE DECADENCE OF
AMERICAN FLEET.
Our Comptition Steadily Increases and
Becomes More Threatening
to the Old World.
AN ECONOMIC CHANGE

The Revue de Paris publishes in a recent
number an interesting article by NJ. Paul
de Rousiers on the merchant marine of the
United States, also stating the causes
which have led up to the Introduction of
the snip subsidy bill In the Senate and
House. The following is a partial transla-
ton thereof:
Notwithstanding the fact that the United
states has very large coast line on the
Pacific and on the Atlantic, good ports
frequented by numerous vessels, her mer-
chant marine has been getting smaller for
the last forty years, while at the same
time her agriculture, industry and COM
merce progressed in an astonishing man.
ner. During the last two years, however
a new movement has manifested itself in
the country. The Americans have at last
realized that the lack of their own vessels
Tor ocean transportation was great draw
back to their national development. This
realization was the basis for the bills in
troduced in the Senate by Senator Hanna
and by Mr.. Payne in the House.
Change in Economic Situation.
The movement corresponds to profound
change in the economic situation The
United States, after having sought for
forty years to isolate their industry from
INDUSTRY, nave now reached
such a state of development that they must
seek foreign markets. From the moment
that America can and wishes to give an
impulse to her foreign trade 1t is advan-
tageous for her to be in a position to own
Ter own transports necessary for such
trade Her merchant marine has existed
and has even been very important. And if
at the present time the ocean does not see
much of the American flag, we must not
forget that the great lakes are the thea
ter of very active navigation. the i'm
portance Of which is not realized In Europe
FROM the beginning of their existence the
British colonies in North America made eff
/ forts to establish a merchant marine
They needed vessels for the TRANSFORMATION
| from Europe of the manufactured goods
which they required. They needed them
also to send to Europe the rare woods, to-
| bacco and other products which they could
| offer in exchange. They possessed an
abundance Of wood suitable for the build
| ing of vessels. Due to the combined ac-
| ton of these favorable elements America
| navigation soon acquired sufficient import
ance to cause the mother country uneas-
! mess. In 1850 parliament passed an act
| for the protection of the marine of the
kingdom against that of the colonies and
| from that time to the Declaration of Inde-
pendence numerous artificial and oppres-
| sive measures were adopted to prevent the
colonies Of America from competing with
| the sovereign power
Decadence Of American Fleet.
In eight years, from 1888 to 1907, the COM
| mercial fleet Of the United States increased
| in a proportion of 1884 per cent. This in
| crease was due primarily to the fact that
| during the last years of the eighteenth
| century Europe, by reason of her contin-
ual wars. was obliged to have recourse
to America for marine transportation AS
soon as affairs became quieter in Europe
| there was gradual reduction in the fleet
| until 1887. But from this date up to the
| war of secession the American merchant
| marine entered upon a new era of remark
| able prosperity. In 1851 she held the second
place, being very close to the British mer-
| chant marine, and leaving that of the other
/ nations far behind. Her tonnage at that
| time amounted to 5539.S43 tons, that of
| Great Britain was $500, 1853 tons, while that
| of all the other countries combined reached
| only $500 967.
| From this date 0s61), when the merchan
marine of the United States reached Its
| pinnacle, up to the present time, the decad-
ence has been continual, and the last years
| of the century show almost complete dis
appearance of American vessels on the
| coasts of Europe. In 1897 the Hamburg
papers stated that for thirty years no vessel
| flying the United States flag had been seen
| In the port. In 1895 and 1893 not an Ameri-
can vessel passed through the Straits of
| Gibraltar or through the SueZ canal. The
difference which was SO slight between the
| American commercial fleet and that of Eng
| land is at present enormous. England car
| ries 56.6 per cent of the worlds ma itime
transportation; the United States, only g. 4
per cent.
| Causes Of the Decadence.
Why has this brilliant upward march,
which continued for twenty-five years sud-
denly ceased? Why has this American feet
which was so prosperous about the middle
of the century almost completely disap-