The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-17
American Ships.
Whether They Are Built and Where
They Go Depends on Trade.

They Go Depends on Trade.
In commenting the appointment Of
the Congressional Commission on
Merchant Marine, and pleading es-
pecially for due recognition of Chi
cago and ports on the Great Lakes,
the Marine Review" soundly re-
marks:
Whatever measure is introduced in Congress
as result Of the inquiry should be common.
one. il should bc broad e;aused; it should not
be sectional bvt all-Amcrican; il should declare
that the great beEehoiaries OF the American
merchant marine are not manufacturers Of New
York, Pennsylvania Ohio, and Illinois and the
farms of Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and the
Dakotas
True, on the prosperity of one sec
ton of the country depends the pros
perity of all sections; but the posi-
ton of Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo,
Cleveland, Toledo, and Duluth as sea-
ports depends, not On what this COM
mission may say or do. but absolute
ly on the economic principle of sup
ply and demand
In fact, this principle includes also
this whole question of the rehabih-
tation of the merchant marine, so be-
logged in many cases by hifalutin
talk about subsidies. If these inland
cities provide the trade, ships will
go to them for the trade. Likewise.
if American merchants provide the
trade, American ships will be built,
without waiting for subsidies from the
Government, to carry that trade.
A recent investigator Of American
railroads commented upon the fact
that they were built by private
enterprise, and maintained by pri-
vate enterprise without Government
subsidies. American intelligence, he
declared, has solved the problem of
giving the best of service at a profit.
The Marine Review" asks:
Is there a man alive today who would dare
TO dream what it would mean 10 the United
States in the contest for the worlds markets
if She had many ships as Britain has. in pro-
portion 10 her resources, her coast line. and the
number OF her people? What a frightul handi-
cap it is for a manufacture Of rcapers who
in order TO send bis output TO South America
has first to send It to Liverpool.
The plain reason why the United
States has not so many ships as
Great Britain is that she has been
so busy developing inside that she
has not had time to develop out
side.
If, as the Marine Review" states,
our merchants have to ship to Liver
pool in order to ship to South Amer
lea, then we say it is because our
merchants are not shipping enough
to South America to pay for a direct
service TO South America.
What is the plain remedy? Mere
~ this: To make things which
South America wants to buy, and
sell them cheaper in South America
than anybody else sells them. Does
any man alive today dare to dream
that if that were done, there would
not be steamers a-plenty carrying
those goods to South America direct
from United States ports?
We trust that the Congressional
commission viii be broad-guaged
enough to consider the question of the
merchant marine in the light of the
facts. Europe has tried the subsidy.
and found it wanting. Merely es-
Ttablishing a service does not mean
increased trade, for merchants will
continue to buy in the cheapest mar
ket, and sell in the dearest, regard
less of steamship lines.
In short, the rehabilitation of the
( American merchant marine cannot be
secured by any artificial. dollhouse
process. 1t depends entirely on the
growth of American trade. Give
American ship interests the trade, and
they viii jump to provide American
ships 10 take care of the trade.