Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-25
A MERCHANT MARINE
Secretary Morton Addresses
the Joint Commission.
A BUSINESS MATTER
TACTICS Adopted By RIVALS
MUST BE MET.
Not Question as to What Americans
Want, but as to what They
Must Do.


pointed to discuss r-ethods of building up
the merchant marine, resumed It's sessions
today. Senator Gallinger, the chairman,
announced that the hearings were about
finished, but that the commission had
thought it proper at this time to invite
naval and Post Office Department officials
to be present today. the former to submit
their opinion of the desifability of a mer-
chent marine as auxiliary to the navy,
and the latter to speak of the benefits to
occur to the postal service as result OF
an improved merchant marine
The Navy Department was represented
by Secretary Morton, Captain Usher, Cap
tain Alfred T. Mahan retired), Rear Ad-
miral Stephen B. Luce (retired), and Rear
Admiral P. F. Harrington, commandment OF
the navy yard at Norfolk. Representing
the Post Office Department was w. 8.
Sballenberger. second assistant postmaster
general. Secfetary Metcalf of the Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor also was
invited to attend the hearing.
Before receiving the views of any of the
officials named Representative Parker Of
New Jersey spoke briefly, contending that
In order to get Americans to go to sea
better wages must be offered and that
there should be a graded service, with pro-
naval reserve act, avoiding its mistakes.
Secretary Morton then made a brief adj
dress. He spoke, not as the head of the
navy, he said, but as an individual. Secre-
tary Morton said that it was not a question
as to what Americans wanted to do for the
building up of the merchant marine, but
what they would be forced to do to meet the
competition of other nations.
Il am not here as a volunteer Secretary
Morton said, but because you have asked
me to be present. What shall say will
be in an individual capacity, and not as
member of the administration The views
I shall express are my own personal views
ITO my mind, the relation of the gov
eminent to our merchant marine IN the
foreign trade is simply a question of COM
petition. There is competition between in
dviduals, between corporations, between
cities and between nations. and the one
great element in the contest for the trade
of the world, now going on between Eng
land, Germany, France and the United
States, is shipping or. the command of the
seas In times of war this is to be secured
only by an efficient navy; in times OF peace
1t can only be obtained by an efficient, mod
ern merchant marine. We need and must
have both to supplement each other.
ut is not a question in the transportation
business what your ethics, or what your
ideas are, as to how cheaply freight can be
carried or what inducements are necessary
in order to promote trade. 1t is your COM
petitors rates that you have to consider.
You must meet them, or your patrons will
have to retire from the trade and you Will
be out of business.
Forced to Meet Conditions.
'It is not question as to what Amer
leans want to do sins the building up Of a
merchant marine. There is, to my mind
nothing academic about It. In order to
build up big American shipping interest
you will be obliged to meet competition of
other nations. You will be forced in some
way to recognize the mail contracts the
subsidies and the premiums of Germany
and Of England, and of other governments.
and you will have to give the American
owner Of sea-going craft an equality in an
respects, this to be arrived at by the ac-
tual measure of what your competition is.
Relation to the Navy.
II think that If something of this kind
can be devised the Secretary continued,
"all ships built should conform in a degree
to specifications and plans approved by
the Navy Department, so that in case of
war we could avail ourselves of them To-
day the merchant marine service of Eng
land, Germany and France is of tremen-
dous Importance as auXiIiares to the ma
vies of each of those countries We now
have nothing of that kind to depend upon
save our coaStwiSe ships
Transportation companies develop bust
ness Many desert has been turned into
a garden through the efforts of American
railroads. Many sections of the country
formerly regarded as utterly valueless have
been, with the proper transporta ton facili-
ties, transformed into sections of wonder
full production
THE railroads of the country are the
commercial scouts of the interior Trans
portation is the advance agent of COM
MERGE American ships. under our own
nag. manned by American officers and
men. should be our scouts of commerce all
over the world.
1t is said that necessity is the mother
OF invention. and there is much truth in it,
II mas been necessary for American rafl-
roads to promote the traffic of the country
they served in order to earn fixed charges
and pay dividends. All it required was in
telligent effort. No other country of the
earth has better railroads or as good sery-
ice. as low rates. can begin to compare
In mileage or tonnage with u.s. We have
literally triumphed in Transportation by
land over all other nations.
Possibilities on the Sea.
What we have done on land we can, if
given a fair show. do on the sea. We prob
ably are the worlds largest producer OF
tonnage. We should. send 1t forth to the
markets of the world in our own ships
Why pay freight to other people than our
selves? Why let foreigners have the profits
of shipping or Of the fnsuranca9
II believe there is sentiment among the
thinking people of the country for a revival
Of our merchant marine In foreign COM
merce. believe 1t is greatly to their in
terest that there Should be- I am sure
plenty of capital can be found for 1t pro-
vided It is fairlyfdeaH with.
There should-be regular lines of steam.
ers sailing from the, United States to all
lines with regular saiiings and stable rates.
The merchants s1ad Manufacturers of this
country cannot build up foreign trade and
retain it unless Hey eah depend on reliable
TRANSFORMATIONS q Aos
Admiral baee's Views.
Rear Admiral Eafce tead a letter recentlv
submitted by hinf tGssecretary Morton to
be laid before the commission, in which he
referred to the nutuaS dependence Of the
merchant marine and the navy. He as
serted that the money paid to foreign car
riers of producfsiiof 'tfiis country goes to
enrich the countries with which the United
| States may some day be at war, thereby
Indirectly aiding the navies of those coun-
| tries and their naval reserves at the ex-
pense of our own. He favored subsidies as
| a means of building UP the merchant
marine.
Capt. Mahan Heard.
Declaring that 1t was through Nursing n