The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-06-29
New Era in Ship Building

The efforts of Mr.. Pierrepont Morgan
to control the steamships or the Atlantic
has done much to attract to this branch
of industry thoughtful consideration OF
the status of American ships. There was
a time when the American mercantile
marine was the pride of our citizens.
Our ensign then the emblem OF young,
and comparatively speaking, feeble ma
ton. proudly waved on every sea. Our
merchantmen In the China and East
India trade ploushed the waves OF the
Pacific; our whalers fitted out at New
Bedford hunted the whale off the coast
of Greenland and beneath the brilliant
constellation of the Southern Cross; our
swift sailing packets piled between the
ports of New York, Boston and Phiiadei-
phia and the ports Of Liverpool and
London. Our navy, small as 1t was, had
won glory in many brilliant engagements
and enforced for the stars and stripes
respectful consideration of the coast OF
AlJers and Japan. England regarded
for fifty years, from 1872 to 1867 the
American vessels as invincible to her
supremacy of the seas; and the decline
of American power on the sea is tracea-
BILE to the hostility of England.
Even before the "embattled Farmers
of Concord fired the shot heard round
the world" English statesmen viewed
our forests with alarm. They saw In the
tall trees the m osts ard spars Of the flu
ture and in the people or the colonies
natural sailors. English Lords OF the
dofa
building in the colonies and numerous
acts were passed to prevent the colonists
from making use of the marerials Tor
shipbullding with which nature had SO
ahundantly endowed them. Not only
were the Americans prohibited from cut
ting down trees and fitting them tor
masts but they were as well proniplteo
to MANUFACTURE from IRON halis' riVe.s
and bolts But no sooner were the
shecSles thrown down by the renuncia-
tion of British sovereignty than the era
of shipbuilding began.
A few years ago when William Y,
Whitney was Secretary OF the Navy, ne
did much to make our country take us
proper place among the powers as
builder of ships. His strenuous advocacy
of a new navy led 10 the building OF the
White Squadron. 1t appealed to the
heart of the nation. Ship followed ship.
swift. lightly armored cruisers like the
Raltimore were followed by battleships
like the Oregon. The country awoke 10
the fact that 1t possessed all these essen
tials for the building of the mooern ma
vies of the world, both for military ana
mercantile purposes. 1t possessed the
steel. the machinery and the skiiitui
shipbuilder.
FORMERLY our railroad men went TO
nngland for steel rails and our ship
builders for steel plates, but In this year
of grace, the world comes purse In hand
to buy our rolling mills. The shipouild-
ing industry In this country Is In It's In
fancy. 1t has not hitherto attracted cap
1t slists Men in the business have peen
compelled to proceed slowly, as I have
sbown. but today capital is seeking in
,,eetn,ent in this great industry. At the
nrfs sent time there are nov enough ves-
sele TO handle the business of the Pacific
coast. Look at the enormous posslpill-
ties of the Pacific. The completion OF the
military highway from Halifax to van
couyer, and from st. Petersburg TO Viao-
livestock, the rapid settling OF british
Columbia and the North racine STATES
and the districts of Amoor and Man
ch,ria. all depending on us for their
cereals. ETC., change the worlds front
and transfer TO the Pacific the activities
and interests that for centuries nave
made the Atlantic the scene OF marine
onerations 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.
make the overshadowing event of the
coming century the engineering and In
dustrial task of supplying their wants.
The trade Of the Pacific today is carried
en- British bottoms.
About fifty years ago American ship
yards compared favorabIy with those
OF great Britain, turning OUT annually
nearly as many merchant vessels with
almost as great a tonnage. The product
Of the American yards during the few