The Republican journal., 1904-08-11
Don't Give up the Ship
The Shipping Question the Most Important
Issue Before the American People.

Capt. W. Irving Adams of East
Boothbay, Me-, recently celebrated
the launching of the Tooth vessel from
his yard. The vessel was, of course, a
schooner for the coasting trade and it
was eminently proper that the event
should be celebrated, for it is not every
individual ship builder who lives to
complete his hundredth vessel. The
speeches were many and significant
but probably the most important utter
ance of all was the following letter
from Congressman Littleheld of Maine:
1T is certainly fitting occasion for
calling attention to our merchant
marine, and especially the existing
decadence OF our foreign going mer-
chant marine. Industries like that rep
resented by Capt. Adams are becoming
very few and far between on our coast.
1t is no doubt true that steamers are
to a large extent, so far as oversee
commerce is concerned taking the
place OF sailing vessels, and it may be
true that this development is necessar-
lily incident to changing conditions. 1t
is source OF great regret that we are
being practically eliminated from the
carrying trade of the world, especially
so at time when our foreign COM
merce is increasing very rapidly, and is
vastly greater than ever before in our
history. l believe that it is essential
to our permanent commercial and in
dustrial development that the ship
building, ship owning and ship sailing
industry should receive the most care
full attention to the end that we may
be able to regain our proper place
among the maritime nations of the
world. It is neither wise nor safe for
us to be obliged to depend for the trans
portation of our products to foreign
countries upon foreign merchant
marine.
Every well informed man realizes
that large merchant marine is an in
dispensable foundation for a large and
efficient navy. We have made tremep-
dous strides in the last two decades
toward large navy, and during that
time our merchant marine has been
gradually decreasing and dwindling.
"A great difference OF opinion exists
as to the causes which have brought
about these conditions and as to the
remedies to be applied. There cannot
but be, however, common agreement
upon the part of intellectual and we'll
Informed people as to the necessity of
ascertaining the cause and the true
remedy. 1t is source Of satisfaction,
however, to know that we still have
some enterprising, energetic and sue
cesssful ship builders like Capt. Adams,
who proposes to celebrate in proper
manner his century vessel. May his
shadow never grow less, and may his
inspiring example be successfully emu
lated"
The Marine Review submits that
there is no issue before the American
people today except the shipping ques-
ton. The money question is not an
issue. The gold standard has been
irrevocably established and the finan-
cial question will not be given mo-
ment's consideration. The country,
too, is committed to the fiscal policy of
tention &C adopting any other. The
revival of shipping is the only question
of importance before the people. 1t is
the first question to be considered when
congress meets in December and it is
to be hoped that it will be settled be
fore it aniourns. All about and every
where over the middle west the people
are talking about shipping. 1t is re-
markable how much knowledge is being
displayed about it. Business men dis
cuss 1t on the street cars and deplore
the absence OF American ships from the
high seas-not from patriotism or ma
tlonal sentiment, but from hard headed,
business reasons, saying specifically
that they cannot reach the South
American market with their products
because there is no communication be-
tween this country and South America.
Every pound of export destined for the
rlcl countries of South America goes
first to Liverpool, where it meets in
competition the product of British fac
tories. Does any one pretend to say
that the American product is favored
over the British product?
1t is probably true that more interest
is being taken in the shipping question
today than has ever been taken before
and it is being taken by the right in
dlvldual, not the ship builder and ship
owner, but the manufacturer and the
imam in the street." They are begin
ming to inquire why 1t is that country
like this, great in manufacturing and
essentially maritime, should have no
ships; why it is that its great export
trade should enrich the Golfers of
foreign ship owners. They don't have
to travel far to get at the reason. 1t
lies III the higher cost of construction
and higher cost of operation that OBJ
talns IN the United States by reason of
the protective system. 1t lies in the
fact that other nations subsidized their
shipping until trade lanes were estab-
lished. Great Britain went about it
magniticently, and fairly threw money
away until its steamers were touching
at every port in the globe. Has she
got it back? Her steamship earnings
are her glory. Even the railways of
the United States have not in certain
years earned more than the ships of
Britain. Even the great wheat crop of
the United states, which raises to pros
perlty considerable portion of our en-
tire population in years Of fine yield, is
not much greater than the earnings of
the great fleets of steamers flying the
British flag. But the earnings Of the
steamers are only part and a very
small part, OF the aggregate wealth
created Look at Britain's export
trade in manufactures! 1t is wonder
full; but it has been made so simply be-
cause her customers have known that
she could deliver the products. 1t is
not an idle thing to say that the manu-
featured exports of the United States
would increase one-third had this coun-
try the same facility for delivering
them that Great Britain has What
would it mean to. increase our manu-
featured exports thus? 1t would mean
IuJ6 nn6c