Evening star., 1902-03-15
DEFENSE OF SUBSIDIES
SENATOR FRYE BEFORE THE CO.
LUMBIAN STUDENTS.
Declares His Bill Will Restore Ameri-
can Flag to the Seas and is
the Only Remedy.


prudence and diplomacy OF Columbian Uni
versity yesterday afternoon Senator Will
liam Z. Frye of Maine delivered lecture
on 'Subsidizing American Ships" Charles
W. Needham. dean of the school. intro
duced the speaker, who was greeted by a
large and distinguished audience
Senator Frye opened his address by stat
ing that In agriculture manufacturing and
mining the United States leads the world
and we see today the marvellous spectacle
OF all the European nations vfetng with
one another in effort to show that dur
ing the Spanish-American war each was
our best friend
This unexampled growth" ne said. has
been mostly the result of the policy Of
protection; but with all OF her natural and
artificial advantages. we have yet allowed
the other commercial nations to seize and
exclude us from the high seas.
Last year our exports amounted to more
than S2.300.DO.o00. yet our ships carried
but per cent of the exports, while OF the
100 vessels leaving the port of New York
laden with our goods for foreign markets
but seven We're American. Our merchant
marine has been steadily declining, and
last year reached its lowest ebb. This con-
ditfon of affairs Is not only humilitating
but dangerous. for If there be a European
war we would have ships to carry our
products. and wageworkers farmers
and miners would pay the penalty.
Beneficial Results Of Protection.
When we protected our merchant ma
rine, American vessels carried 30 per cent
OF our products. The beneficial results OF
protection are also proven by our magnil-
cent coastwise lines. which two years ago
carried S1.s0o0ooooo worth OF freight and
2t1, 100000 passengers.
The cause of the decline OF our merchant
marine Is that American ships cost today
more than % per cent more than tho
amount for which the same ships could he
built in England or Germany. This dim
Guilty might possibly be obviared. but we
would then have still staring Us I'm the
face the greater wages of seamen on the
ships after they were constructed.
ITO prove this, Senator Frye quoted from
an official report made by q free shipman'
to a democratic administration. which
showed that wages on foreign vessels
RED from IS per cent Tin EnglandD to IS
per cent Tin Russial. less than those paid
on American ships. One of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company's vessels pays more
than twice as much in monthly wages as A
corresponding ship under the Chilean flag.
and other American ships are operated at
proportionately greater cost
Other Nations Pay Subsidies.
Eighty per cent OF all the ships In the
world of speed OF fourteen knots and
upward are subsidized, and only per cent
or the ships of sixteen knots and upward
subsidizng ships fifty years ago. has never
yet departed from that policy, and all other
great nations have followed her example,
Including the new maritime nation, Ger
many, and the new civilized nation. Japan.
Last year these nations paid over ST.
100000 In subsidies to their own vessels,
whereas during the same period the United
States paid to foreign vessels Sfi.0oo.0 .01 for
carrying the American mails. Norway. with
the best and the cheapest sailors in the
world last year commenced to subsidize
also.
Under these circumstances there can be
but one result. namely, that American veS-
sells cannot compete with foreign ships, as
shown by the fact that the Roach line Of
New York had to be abandoned few years
ago because OF the destructive competition
o. Spanish freighters.
I'VE are in the anomalous position OF en-
ploying our most dangerous commercial RI
val, the Germans. to find foreign markets
for our goods, and 1t is to be presumed that
the markets 80 discovered will be as few
as possible: yet there is not a nation on
the face of the globe which needs foreign
markets much the United States,
owing to the vast increase in our exports
since Mckinley's first election.
without market for our great surplus
of products there will be stagnation. indus
trial depression and hard times in the
United States. This was strongly urged by
President Mckinley in his speech at Buff
falo destined to be his final piece OF advice
TO the american nation.
Subsidy Bill Only Remedy.
What is the remedy7 The free-trade the
orists have one: they always have but Il
is noticeable that theorists are never
troubled by fact. They claim We should
have free ships. and yet. in the same
breath, insist that Americans can build
ships as cheaply any other nation. It
being a fact that our ships do cost moro
auguration Of the free-ship policy would be
to merely close down American shipyards
forever. Putting hounties on foreign prod
ucts exported In American vessels which
Is also advocated. would be unconstitu-
tional. To put discriminating duties on
foreign imports would be to abrogats
thirty-four Of our commercial treaties. with
consequent retaliation by all Of the ma
tions unfairly treated.
1.-THE real remedy Is to provide a legiti-
mate subsidy. by means OF which all Amer
lean products and all American mails would
be transported in American ships. which
could. In case OF necessity. be used as ma.
val auxiiiaries. which proved to be Of In
estfmable value In the Spanish-American
war.
In conclusion Senator Frye said that In
his opinion. and 1t is an entirely unselfish
one. in view Of the fact that the only ves-
sci in which he ever owned any interest,
went down several years ago with all on
board and no insurance. the safe way by
which the American flag can be restored
to the seas, and the American merchant
marine and sailors restored to their pris-
tine pre-eminence and glory, Is by enact
ing into law the shipping subsidy bill, now
pending in Congress.
The next lecture in the series will be de-
livered by Commissioner Henry b. F. Mao
farland on 'The Government OF the Dis
trict Of Columbia" Friday. March p. at
4:30 pm.