The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-06-17

oer Industry thoughtful consideration of
the status Of American ships. There was
O time when the American mercantile
marine was the pride OF our citizens. Our
ensign then the emblem of q. young. and
comparatively speaking, feeble nation.
proudly waved on every sea. Our mer-
chantmen in the China and East India
trade ploughed the waves OF the Paclhc:
our whalers fitted out at New Bedford
hunted the whale OF the coast OF Green
land and beneath the brilliant constel-
lauon of the Southern Cross; our swift
sailing packets piled between the Ports
OF New York, Boston and PhllaoelPhla
and the ports of Liverpool ana Lonuon.
Our navy. small as it was. had won glory
IN many brilliant engagements, and en-
forced for the Stars and Stripes respectful
consideration off the coasts of Alsiers
and japan. England regarded for fifty
years. from 1872 to 1852, the American
vessels as invincible to her supremacy
OF the seas; and the decline Of American
pcwSr on the sea is traceable to the hos
ulity of England.
Even before the "empattled farmers or
Concord fired the shot heard round the
world" English statesmen viewed our
forests with alarm. They saw in the tall
trees the nlasts and spars of the fu-
tnre. and in this people of the colonies
natural sailors. English Lords Of the
Admiralty determined to check ship
building in the colonies and numerous
gets were passed to prevent the colonists
from making use Of the materials TOR
shipbuilding with which Nature had SO
abundant1y endowed them. Not only
were the Americans prohibited from cut
ting down trees and fitting them for
masts; but they were, as we'll prohibited
to manufacture from iron nails rlvets
and bolts But no sooner were the
shackles thrown down by the renuncla-
ton of British sovereignty than the era
Of shipbuilding began.
a few years ago. when Nliilam =.
Whitney was Secretary Of the Navy, ne
did much to make our country take Its
proper place among the powers as
builder of ships. His strenuous adj
yocacy Of q new navy led to the buiid-
ing of the White Squadron. It appealed
to the heart of the nation. Ship followed
ship. Swift. lightly armored cruisers nke
the Baltimore. were followed by pa'tie-
ships like the Oregon The country
awoke to the fact that it possessed all
these essentials for the building of the
modern navies of the world, both Tor
military and mercantile purposes. It
possessed the steel. the machinery and
the skilfull shipbulder.
Formerly our railroad men went to
England for steel rail and our shipbuild-
grace the world comes purse in hand to
buy our rolling mills. The shipbnilding
industry in this country is in It's IN
fancy. 1t has not hitherto attracted
capitalists Men in the business nave
been compelled to proceed slowly, as
have shown: but to-day capital is seek
ing investment in this great industry
AT the present time there are not enough
vessels to handle the business of the Pa
cihc coast. Look at the enormous pos
sibilities of the Pacific. The completion
of the military highway from Halifax
to Vancouver. and from st. petersburg
TO Eladi% osto ck, the rapid settling OF
British Columbia and the North Pacific
States and the districts of AMOR and
N1anchuria, all depending on US Tor
their cereals. etc, change the World
front and transfer to the Pacific the ac-s
tivities and interests that for centuries
have made the Atlantic the scene of
marine operations. These conditions. due
to the opening of China and the Far
East, and the occupation Of Hawaii and
the Philippine Islands by the United
States. making the orershadowing event
of the coming century the engineering
and industrial task Of supplying their
wants. The trade of the Pacific to-day
Is carried on British bottoms.
About fifty years ago American snip
yards compared favorably with those Of
Great Britain. turning out annually near
ly as many merchant vessels with almost
rs great tonna ge. The product OF
the American yards during the few years
prior to the civil war, represented a
greater capacity in tons: and there is no
good reason in view of the conditions
Of commerce why American ship-yards
should not construct in the immediate
future more ships with greater tonnage
than the ship-yards of any other nation.
We possess enormous advantages. This
is the era Of iron and steel construction:
and the coal and iron deposits of the
United States are such that this coun-
try is now the chief producer Of the
raw material required in shipbuildin.
Even though by the logic of natural
conditions, this country is to be the ship
building country of the world, special
effort must be made to reap the bene-
its OF our exceptional advantages. We
must bring together in a firm industrial
association the capital. energy, and ski
of the American snip builders. They
possess actual productive experience
knowledge of costs. military judgment
essentials which / firmly believe cannot
elsewhere be matched in the world.
Every other country has bent its en-
orgies to building up great civil plant
capable Of producing raw materials
Glance at the Stupendous aggregatons
of machinery and capital represented oH
krupp. Armstrong, schneider. ana nu'
merous others. all full to Overlooking
with contracts for the very types of ship:
that met defeat at Manila and Santiago
All our ship-builoing companies under
consideration are close corporations
largely controlled by single families
chiefly interested in the development O
their plants with 1altn in the future o
the industry. The present efficient con
dition of these plants is the result o.
the deliberate reinvestment of current
earnings in the acquisition of propert.
and In improved machinery anu equip
mert. No governmental aid in suesidie
has ever been asked or received. and ye
they built the ships which won the da.
a. Manila and Santiago.
1t follows that if a great American
plant shall be created-as proposed b:
the most enterprising Of American ship
buIiders-composed Of an aggregate o
effective units of financial stability, com
bined with engineering and military man
agnent CT unquestioned standing. whicl
challenges comparison with similar inst
buttons abroad by the refinement of 1t
product. it Will assuredly receive I'll
active support OF our government an
this Will carry with 1t a vast bus'nes