The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-07-09
BRITAIN AND THE SHIP TRUST
ATTITUDE OF THE GOVERNMENT
 TOWARD IT,

Anxious but Not HostiIe-Any Sort of Jealousy of American Intent Dis- cIaimed-Flrst Lord of the Admiralty Believes the Combine WlI be Under a DIsadyantage-The Question of sub- sidIes-Morgan Offers to Place All British Ships at Disposal of Admiralty London, July S.-Lord Brassey Qiber- aD initiated discussion on naval mat ters in the House of Lords to-day, dur ing the course of which he deplored the fact that Great Britain had lost the place she once held with her mercantile marine. The scheme of subsidies, he thought, must depend on the action ot the other powers. All the naval powers of Europe, the speaker asserted, gave liberal subsid es, while President Roose- welt and Former Secretary Gage had recommended this policy. It was con- trary to British policy to foster indus tries by bounties or protection, but to pay for a reserve of auxiliary vessels would certainly be to the public advan- tage.
 Lord Selborne, the first lord of the ad- miralty, in the course of reply, refer red to the Atlantic shipping combine He said it seemed to him that the bal ance was one of disadvantage to the combination, because it necessarily placed very large powers in the hands of few men. The government dis claimed any sort of jealousy of the in- tention of the Americans here. They had an American marine of their own, and they had perfect right to full share of the Atlantic trade. It was the British intent that they should have It. It should not be an almost British mo- nopoly. On the other hand, Great Brit ain could not afford to see herself squeezed out of the Atlantic trade. Teh attitude of the government, therefore, was not one of hostility but of anxiety, and not until they had formed final opinion of the whole question could they wisely or fairly enter into agree WILL Ollc poI y o1 IAAS oNAA~A' ~N would never do to rely in time of war on merchant ships of other nations for the purposes of British-carrying trade Great Britain had fallen behind in re- gard to vessels of high speed, because she had not given heavy subsidies like other nations. The expense of so large a subsidy policy was so insiduous that, in his opinion, the subsidizing of com mercial corporations should and must be confined to limited number and for a special and definite purpose. While merchant cruisers had their proper place, in time of war they could never be substituted for national cruisers, nol would the possession of merchant cruis CTS ever diminish the shipbuilding vot for the navy.
 In the House of Commons to-day tn parliamentary secretary to the admiral ty, H. c. Arnold-Forster, replying tC William Redmond, the Irish leader confirmed the report that J. Pierpon Morgan had offered to place all tn British ships in the new combination at the disposal of the admiralty for tn next fifty years on certain terms. MT Arnold-Forster added that the offer ha' lOI yet bSCkl oCCCpLSus pCCduSc IL tpul' only be dealt with in relation to Britis shipping generally, and the Atlanti trade position, which was being yer carefully considered by the government
 London, July 9.-The references yes terday in parliament to the Morga shipping combine has set all the Lon don papers again to writing editorial on the shipping problem. Satisfactio is unanimously expressed this mornin that the government is devoting itse to the considera ton of the problem, br considerable doubt is expressed whethe J. Pierpont Morgan could offer guarar tees to justify the acceptance of his o1 fer to place all the British ships in tf new combine at the disposal of the at miralty for the next fifty years.
 Among the varied opinions as to tf best methods of nesting the difficultit is the one advanced by the Standar While objecting to the subsidy syste on principle, this paper admits that
 might become necessary to provide ns tional funds in order to induce sh owners to build limited number
 valuable vessels, which otherwise wou not be constructed at all.