Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-18

ing the public domain for homestead settle
ment, and by government announcement
through subsidized transcontinental rail-
ways and subsidized rivers and harbors, our
agricultural interests are more valuable
than those Of any other country.
THE annual output of our 5000 coo farms
exceeds 81 600 600 coo. The development Of
our mining industries has been encouraged
by many direct congressional enactments,
and because thereof, and because of the
unequaled railway and coastwise facilities
to which l have referred, our mineral out
put has passed the billion dollar line
Coastwise vessels unload upon the shores
of single state more iron ore than any
foreign nation produces.
Some Comparisons.
Without attempting to give the reasons
therefor, 1 content myself with stating tie
fact that forty years ago we had only one
fourth as much foreign commerce to trans
port we have now, yet We actually car
ried in American bottoms. forty years ago.
three times as much foreign commerce as
we carry today. These conditions may ne
sa satisfactory to you. They seem to he sat
isfactory to many. But they are not sat
isfactory to me.
Il am not ignorant of the argument that
If foreign countries willing to subs dZ .
ships TO carry our freight 1t inureS to CIR
advantage. This might be a sufficient eX-
cuSe for supine indifference If there
were no other consideration lf!NoiNSu lliil
merely carrying our freight across the At
lantic ocean in times OF peace. Cnfortu-
nately, however. there are many other and
weightier considerations.
During the Spanish war, which lasted
less than 120 days We purchased or char
tered forty e.gn vessels. In the mean
time every city on the Atlantic and gulf
coasts was apprehenaive of an unwarned
attack, and every few hours the people a.
Mole ST Nicholas and Monte Christie mag
ined they could hear firing off to the south
west.
IF war were to be declared between any
two of the great powers of Europe, our
foreign commerce would be not only help
less but hopeless. / forbear reference to
our military and naval condition. in the
absence of available Golfers and trans
ports, were the United States to be IN
volved in such a conflict. The proudest
navy in the world is utterly worthless
without coal.
LAS certain as the world revo2ves the
time will come when our people Will give
more heed to securing respectable share
of the trade of South American republics,
South Africa. the islands south Of the
equator and the countries washed by the
Pacific ocean. And there are no such agents
of commerce as representatives of trans
portation companies.
Suppose now had regular lines of
steamship communication between our
ports and the countries l have mentioned,
the government paying the loss until our
trade should be established. Whit would
be the result?
Ship Subsidies.
"A representative of these lines would
wait at the door of every factory III the
land begging for the production of goods
specially designed to meet the peculiar
needs. desires and whims of the countries
for which they We're intended. And. mark
you, gentlemen, a foreign market for
million dollars of manufactured products
means domestic market for at least $500
600 of labor.
Nor would this be all The establish
ment of trade in those countries would be
followed by American warehouses, the
American branch offices, and the American
banks. The conflict between the great pow
ers of the world is no longer military, but
commercial.
Europe is not seeking to establish naval
stations in the direction l have indicated,
but she has already established commercial
stations there, and out of these are liable
to rise complications fully as intricate and
vastly more delicate. Fortunately the
Venezuelan matter is being settled by arbi-
tration
God grant that all difficulties of this
character that may hereafter arise on the
western hemisphere may be solved in the
same way. If we had our share of the com
merce to the south and west of ms, instead
of paltry 10 per cent, We would be in
position to insist that they should be SO set
tied.
II am not contending for ship subsidies
if any more feasible course can be devised
But If ship subsidies Will insure us a mer-
chant marne, then ! am for ship subsidies.
If some other measure will insure a mer-
chant marine then | am for some other
measure. If several measures combined will
insure merchant marine, then l am for
all such measures"
1--WE Will Dig Canal"
Secretary Shaw had carefully prepared
his speech but toward its end he departed
from it. In part he said.
= I'VE going to dig the Panama canal.
Do you realize that this is equal TO our
voting subsidy to the commerce of all the
countries of Europe. 1t will benefit them
all, but We believe it will benefit us still
more.
Your shipping men know that if two
vessels started from Liverpool for San
Francisco one by the SueZ canal and one
by Cape Horn, they would both beat a yes
sci sailing from New York to San Fran
cisco around the horn. That's one of the
reasons why We must have the canal
I'VE must have the ships to carry the
trade. We could dig a Panama canal
every day without hurting anybody's peck
ct. Hence If we must raise money to help
merchant marine it will not be hard"
GENERAL ATTACK EXPECTED