The age-herald., 1902-02-08
Washington Day by Day

WaSnlngtOn, FeDruary i.-NopSSioiti Former Senator Edmunds of Vermont prepared the report on the ship-subsidy bill as 1t now stands, but his argument was so proix that we were compelled to have a synopsis of it prepared for popu- lar reading" Senator Hanna said to me
 This fact concerning the great Yer monter has never before been printed, though members of Congress and thous- ands of other individuals have doubtless been amazed at the great length of the report as printed in full and puzzled by the brief synopsis that accompanied 1t.
 The explanation as now given comes about by accident, through Senator Han mas urgent advice to me to tread the report" Perhaps it was a suggestion of disappointment or reluctance that fitted unconsciously across my face that led the Senator to say quickly:
 q know 1t is long, very long-I tell you Edmunds wrote it-but 1t is more than worth whatever time and thought you may devote to its reading. It is an able and complete treatment of the present bill and you must read 1t. Go you at your leasure to the commerce committee room and say to the clerk I asked you to go, and he will give you copies of the bill. the full report, and the synopsis. Be certain to read the full report"
 Thanks to Senator Hanna, the full re- port has now been most carefully read and studied by me, though 1t has taken all my little spare time for several days. And it is truly a masterly production It well may be doubted if any other single report ever submitted to Congress on any one bill contained so much information so logically stated.
 The bill itself extends to but 225 lines in type much larger than that in which this is printed and the lines are one- third of an inch apart; but the report as written by Senator Edmuds is in part of type about the size of this you are read ing and in part in type half this size, solidly set, and forming a book of fifty six pages It would probably fill a hum dred columns of this newspaper. Accom- panying 1t and forming in effect part of it Is a fourteen-page synopsis of a re- port on steamship subsidies; submitted by a select committee of the British par liament, August l. 19O1,' to that Parlia- ment.
 The synopsis of the report written to accompany the Frye bill, the ship-sub- sdy bill now under consideration, is here reproduced, and readers of 1t who have read the Age-Herald's interview with Senator Hanna will find here in different
 dnf forth by the Senator, showing that he has mastered the question which he asked his interviewer to study. The synopsis proceeds:
 "The report of the Senate commerce committee on the ship-subsidy bill states that it's purpose and reasonably certain results in ten years will be to establish the maritime supremacy of the United States in trade with Asia and in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean; to es- tablish securely trade between the United States and South American republics, and to give the United States . respectable representation on the North Atlantic.
 Ut will so extend shipbuilding as to transfer in time from abroad to the Uni ted States the center of that industry as the centers of other industries recently have been transferred.
 Finally, it will give to the United States a measure of maritime indepen- dence corresponding to our industrial and agricultural independence.
 "The postal-subsidy provisions enable the postmaster-gene to establish an American ocean mail system superior to the systems of Great Britain, France and Germany. This policy was declared ten years ago. The bill corrects errors in the act of 1891 in the light of the decades progress in shipbuilding and of changed political and commercial relations of the United States with the rest of the world. It does not increase pay under existing mail contracts, some of which have ten years to run.
 ''The American ocean mail system out lined contemplates on the Pacific weekly mail service to Hawaii, the Philippines, Japan, China and Hongkong and fort nightly service to Pago Pago New Zea- land and Australia. The maximum cost would be $2,335,000. The services would be performed by American vessels, in speed and tonnage far superior to those by which Great Britain, Germany and France now maintain mail connections with Asia and Australia at an annual ex- peLse of $4,sOoOOO.
 ''On the Atlantic the bill contemplates semi-weekly mail services to Jamaica Havana and Europe. weekly to Mexico, once in ten days to Venezuela and fort nightly to Brazil, at maximum cost of g, ,365. 900.
 "The establishment of this complete American ocean mail service, involving much shipbulding, will require several years It will render the United States as independent of foreign powers for it's ocean mail service as is Great Britain. The cost of the American service by American mail steamers will be S4, FOG, 900. United States are now estimated at $3,- 900. 00O The annual deficit under the new American system proposed, including minor services, will be about $200O,G0O The annual deficit under the British and colonial system is s2,1sS,O0o.
 "The report compares in detail Ameri- can services proposed with British serv- ices. and asserts that the bill will revo- lutionize in American favor, as against the Suez route, the worlds ocean mail connections with China and Japan, and will affect Australian connections.