Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-17
From American Shipbuild-
ing Firms
AGAINST BUYING SHIPS
BY THE GOVERNMENT IN FOR
EIGN MARKETS.
Political Consequences Said to Be Sc
rious- Socialists Will Be Encour-
aged--A Storm Brewing.

Protests from American shipbuilding
firms against the proposed purchase of
ships in foreign markets by the govern
ment are said to be on the way. The only
business the seacoast firms have, of a ma
ture sufficiently profitable and extensive TO
warrant keeping up their plants, is said to
be the contracts with the government The
home hipbuilders will insist, it is said,
through all of the pressure they can bring
to bear upon the administration, that no
government business shall be given to for
eigners.
1t is said that the plea made by Secretary
Taft of the necessity for immediate acqui-
sition of new vessels will be met with the
suggestion that the isthmian canal commits
sion charter the necessary ships from for
eign owners until the home yards can turn
out the new vessels. 1t is claimed that
there will be no difficulty to secure vessels
in that way. By dividing the contracts for
the new vessels among several yards it is
claimed that they can be turned out long
before the business of the canal construc-
ton grows to large proportions.
The Question Of Cost.
The complaint that the American-built
ships cost more will not be accepted as an
excuse by the home builders for the gov
ernment going into foreign markets. They
insist that material and labor are higher
in this country as result of a policy de-
liberately entered upon by the overwhelm-
Ing vote of the people, in the interest CT
home producers and home workers. They
do not intend to allow the government to
plead immunity from the economic results
of that policy.
Inquiry at the office of the commissioner
of navigation today ELECTED the statement
that the government can purchase foreign
ships under the law. bring them into this
country duty free and sail them under the
United States flag while they do not en-
gage in coastwise trade. AS they would
between New York and Colon they
would not be liable to the limitations af-
fecting coastwise traffic.
But the little furry of the shipbuilders
over the foreign purchasing scheme is but
the sizzling of tea kettle compared to the
political storm that is brewing Indignant
republicans are expected to be trooping to
Washington in force to demonstrate against
the enforcement of the proposed policy
They will be reinforced, it is limited, by the
politicians in the cabinet, and all hands
will fall upon the President and Secretary
Taft as one representative put it today,
like thousand O brick"
The Political Consequences.
1t is complained that Secretary Taft is
not politician and did not weigh the po-
litical consequences of the move. These
congressman are unable to understand
however, why the President, against whom
the charge of lack Of political acumen has
never been raised, should have permitted
the project 10 be entered upon. Their ex-
plana ton is that the President possibly saw
an opportunity to promote his program of
tariff revision, which was given such
sharp setback by the stand-patters In the
last Congress.
In the opinion. of the high tariff congress-
men there is no question that tariff revis-
ion viii receive great momentum from this
incident. The only question In their mind
is whether the momentum may not carry
the matter into the hands of democratic
free traders.
1t is also asked whether the socialists
will not be encouraged in their campaign
by the spectacle of the government buying
steamships and operating transconti-
mental freight and passenger business
There is no concealing the fact that the
stand pat" and high tariff republicans
are nightly cast down in their minds over
the situation and are fearing that the worst
is yet to come.
Protest From Another Quarter,
A vigorous protest from another quarter
is coming, too and from sources that can
exert some influence in political affairs.
The transcontinental railroads have been
watching the progress of the Panama rail-
way and steamship project with consider
able uneasiness. They are aware of the
fact that the new route thus to be estab-
uehed between New York and San Fran.