New-York tribune., 1903-03-14
AMERICAN SHIPS.
Osr Merchant Marine Surveyed by
Tzco Writers.

Hstory and Romance from 1s10 to lso2, BBy
Charles scri0ners Sons.
AnERIcAN MERCHANT SHIPS AND SAILORS
Octave. pp Z. 81. Dodd. Mead & Co
The DEVELOPMENT of our merchant navy and
that OF cur war nav present rather curious
contrasts whed the nation was first formed II
would have ret speedy disaster had 1t counted
for defence and aggression on its warships- he'
the merchant marine Of the day, which 1ie
jealousy of the English Government mao not
succeeded in seriously harmng by ieg1siation
repressive to commerce. was so numerous So
sturdy and sc daring tina, it had large share
in nroducine upon the Continent the impression
that the rising of the Colonies was not as
order TO be shifted at. In the year l1u the
number of privateersmen at sea equaileo Ihe
entire strength of washington's army fhe
share OF the merchant marine IN gaming tlie
spect of the nations for the young repuoHc III
the War of 1912 is attested by such documents
as the resolutions drawn up by a meeting oh
merchants in Glasgow in 1914. They read DIS
follows:
That the number Of privateers with which our
channels have been infested. the auoaclty "!tn IN
I1ich they have approached our coasts and the
success with. which their enterprise mas oeeh
attended have proved injurious 10 our ,LI eot
Tnerce hurnbIing to our pride and discreditapie
70 the directors of the naval power OF the Brltlsn
nation whose flag, till Of late, waved over every
Is reason 10 believe that III the short space OF
less than twenty-four months above elenl nun
dred vessels have been captured py tnal poMei E
whose maritime strength we have hitherto III
T,oIitIcaJIv held in contempt. That at q time
when we are at peace with ali the Worlo' ~nen
the maintenance Of our marine costs sucL lr
large sim tc the country when the mercantile
and shipping interests pay tax 1of protec''9It ~,
under the form of convoy duty. ana Mneii' e1 .t ~
the plertitude Of our power, we have declared tne
x1hcIe American coasts under blockade, it is
equally distressing and mortfy1ng tnaI our
shins cannot with safety traverse our own
rhsnnels that insurance cannot be effected but
at an excessive premium, and that horoe ol
American cruisers sholld De alloNeu IN ~.
sisted and unmoested. TO take, ouFn or ,. sA oG a.
own vessels in our own inlets. and almost In
sight C our own harbors.
This almost gigantic strength at sea came
from the readiness and the long preparation Oh
the merchant feet. France and England mao
asserted and exercised the right to stop anu
search American vessels, with the result tnat
epeed had become Of the highest value, ano onat
American shipbuiders were turning out nuns
UNUSUALLY sleek and sharp, with rigging sur
rr1singly high It waA necessary to outsali lne
English eearcher and the fast ship came IN
anEwer to the need so that the oppression OF
great naval power was actually educating It's
victims against the time when they should sue
cessfully defy it The weakness OF the AIlefl-
can Government on the other hand. added Its
influence in the same direction The sailor VINO
hardly expected that any help would ever reacn
him from his own nation was thrown entreIy
on his own resources as fighter for MS saieIy'
Today the relative positions Of the two
marines are quite reversed. The wooden built
ship declined at the first wide Introduction OF
steam and the steam lines suffered "nlie sun
an experiment by adverse legislation In con-
.r-ess that 1as showing the plain marks OF a
North and South cleavage. The Civil War founo
the merchant marine ailng, and left 1t q chrome
tn ma
appearance as a convertible arm OF the war
navy in certain ships OF mail carrying AT
Inntjc line and others of a coastwise line But
though the vessels employed were handsome
ships and acquitted themselves well, the part
they played was q minor one in comparison WIZ
that played by the war navy, which has grown
into a position OF some world prominence. It Is
noteworthy that the merchant marine declined
at time when the country In itself was snow
ing fits most astounding growth The opening
OF the West and the extensive building of rail-
roads proha bly, gave the nation all the develop
rnent II could profitably stand II at the out
break of the Revolution there were more people
IN Maine and New-Hampshire engaged in ship
building and navigation than in agriculture, and
Massachusetts could be said to own one sea-
en,aS vessel for every hundred inhabitants, the
esying that was current in Springfield when
Lincoln was q young lawyer there, that the
State had hundred miles Of rail for every male
inhabitant had In spite Of its whmsicality,
rood bit OF truth behind it. Signs are not lack
ing that American shipping is destined for more
prosperous days than the present though the
great activity Of shipyards. it must be rernem-
bered is at least half due TO the demands OF the
national government. Says Mr.. Marvin:
The American merchant marine in foreign
commerce will revive when the American people
demand it. Economic conditions are quietly
$SA~4 olNyna Y1nf f1 M
easy and certain, but it can be hasteneo oy an
aroused patriotic sentiment and postponed by
lack of IT. Germany has lately given to the
world noble example Of the swift creation OF
maritime newer In response to an ardent
tionaI aspiration-and Germany has scant
foothoId the deep sea, and none OF tne
splendid nautical traditions Of America What
the empire has done the republic can do more
readily IL il will. The same indomltable spirit
which wrought our great railway system SUD
dued the Western wilderness and Is now driving
the surplus output Of our industries into all the
markets Of the world can win supremacy on the
ocean for the United States just as soon as 1t
learns that 1t Is worth while to make the en-
oeavoT.
10 shipping In order to stimulate 1t TO the pos
aIbaIity Of equal competition with the subsidized
deets Of foreign nations. Where the commerce
Is not international the shipping has seemed to
develop normally a. in the coasttng trade and
that of the Great Lakes. to which special chap
ters sre devoted In this book But the letter is
not unduly colored by the views which the
author has been led TO adopt by twenty years OF
study and observation; 1t keeps well to the pur-
pose Of presenting the growth and fortunes OF
the merchant marine and the glamour Of Its
brilliant incidents. AS to authorities for his
Aorscal statements, the book rests on such
.o,rcrs as McMaster, Henry Adams. Won Hoist,
r4.ke snd MacIay II IL well written, and pre-
80. . clssr account of its subject, one in which