The Savannah morning news., 1904-11-17
AMERICAN SHIPPING.

4 AO-Goys n 1DAAlAAAAJANC AAC4 Wis NANJ
| appointed by the trade bodies will be
present to discuss the question with
the Congressional Committee.
There is great interest in the sub
| ject in this city, as there is in Bruins
wick, and other ports of the South
ern states, owing largely to the bene-
| fits that are expected to be derived
from the Panama canal. Besides these
| benefits. it is felt that the greater part
of the S2OO,OOO,O00 a year which this
| ought to remain in this country in
stead of going into the pockets of
foreigners. When it is recalled that at
one time in our history-in 1S26-rnore
than 80 per cent. of American COM
merce was carried in American bot
toms, it seems to be reflection upon
American genius and enterprise that
only about per cent. of this trade is
now carried in vessels flying the Amer
can flag.
No doubt there are plenty of Ameri-
cans who would engage in seafaring
life if the opportunity were presented
to them in American ships. Why not
then adopt a policy that would in
sure the greater part of American
commerce being carried in American
ships, a policy that would make the
American flag as we'll known in practi-
cally all parts of the world as it once
was-as well as, if not better than, that
of any other nation?
There are three methods suggested
for the building up of American ship
ping, namely, the subsidy method of
the Republican party, the methods of
discriminating duties by which the
Democratic party made the American
marine about the greatest in the world
and the free ships method. There is
no doubt that if American citizens
had the privilege of American registry
for ships purchased wherever they
could be obtained the cheapest, it
wouldn't be long before the bulk of
the countrys foreign commerce would
be transported in ships carrying the
American flag; but there is no use dis
cussing the question of free ships. The
Republican party is strong enough now
and promises to be strong enough for
some years to come to prevent any
thing approaching free ship legislation.
And there is strong opposition to the
subsidy method, even among Republi-
cans. The Republicans have been try
ing for several years to get a ship
subsidy bill through Congress, and they
don't seem to be any nearer success
than when the first ship subsidy bill
was introduced. The impression is
strong that the subsidy method would
simply build up another great trust,
that the people would be taxed for the
support of another giant combination.
And then it is practically certain that
it would be found that the subsidies
provided at the outset wouldn't be suf-
ficient to accomplish the object aimed
at, and that other and greater sub
sides would have to be voted to make
the method success, If it ever could
be made a success. The chances are
that the enriching of a-few capitalists
is the only thing the subsidy method
would accomplish. We might have fast
lines Of steamers to two or three Eu-
ropean ports, but not great fleets of
steamers carrying the nations COM
merce to and from all parts of the
world.
Shipping men who have studied the
shipping question and congressman who
are interesting themselves in il seem
to regard with favor the method of
discriminating duties. BY discriminate
ing import and tonnage duties the ma
TONS merchant marine was built up
in the early days of the republic, and
it seems reasonable that the same
method would be successful now.
1t is true we are bound by treaties
and conventions with about all nations
to make no discrimination against for
eign ships in import and tonnage du-
ties, but it is provided in these treaties
and conventions that they can be abro-
gated by one years notice. OF course
lneTS WOulu De tremendous cutlery
by nations which are now doing our
foreign carrying trade. They would
threaten retaliation probably, but, as
some of our public men have said in
discussing this subject, If they submit
without retaliation to the Dingley tar
iff rates they would probably submit
without retaliation to discriminating
import and tonnage duties.
The discrimination would not have TO
be so great as to seriously impair our
custom receipts or to be intolerably
burdensome to foreign ships. 1t should
be just sufficient to insure the ship
ment Of American imports and exports
in ships carrying the American flag.
If the policy Of discriminating du-
ties were adopted it is certain that 1t
wouldn't be long before American ship
yards would be busy. There would be
such competition in shipbuiding that il
is probable that ships would be built
as cheaply in American as foreign
yards.
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