Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-07
orr COMMERCIAL GROWTH.

OIh tOMME htlAL HhbW 4 n
In his address at the celebration of
the semi centennial OF the opening Of
St Mary's ship canal. Vice President
Fairbanks spoke OF the commercial
growth OF the country in the most en-
couraging vein, presenting facts which
should make every American citizen feel
that the wonderful progress of the
United States, industrially and com
mercially during the last third of cen
tury, is but the beginning of a develop
ment the bounds Of which are beyond the
ken of any one now living. After noting
the enormous tonnage that now passes
through the canal which was constructed
half a century ago, Mr.. Fairbanks said
that the maximum has not yet been
reached and no one who will consult
the figures Of the growth of this vast
commerce and consider the steady de-
velopment Of the resources which con-
tribute to It can have any doubt that
within the next twenty years it will
probably be nearly II not quite double
what IL is at present-an amount greatly
surprising our foreign commerce and
giving remunerative employment to ad-
dltional hundreds Of millions of capital
and tens of thousands of people.
"The sceptre of commercial power
is speedily passing into American con-
troll" said Mn Fairbanks. IF we are
but true to the vast opportunities which
lie at our hands, the United States will
become the acknowledged leader in the
commerce of the world" How shall this
pre-eminence be attained7 Already this
country is at the head of the industrial
nations. In the province of manufac-
lures we hold the first rank This has
been achieved through the republican
policy of protection to our industries,
under which their growth has been stim-
ulated. 1t is not essential to further
commercial expansion that the same
policy be applied. Would not the build
ing up of a merchant marine in the
ocean-carrying trade be instrumental in
expanding our commerce with foreign
countries? ut is a gratifying fact" said
Mr.. Fairbanks, "that the enormous COM
merce Of the United States upon the
great lakes is carried in American ships.
They were built in our shipyards and
are managed by American seamen.
When we come to commerce upon the
high seas we largely give over its car
riage to ships built abroad and sailed by
alien owners. This would seem incOm-
patible with wise national policy"
1t has been so regarded by some of
the ablest of American statesmen since
our merchant marine was driven from
the seas more than forty years ago.
They have perslstently urged that the
same policy which has made the United
States pre-eminent among the industrial
nations would give it also commercial
supremacy If applied to the building up
of merchant marine. The soundness
demonstrated. British and German and
French success in acquiring markets has
been to a great extent due to the fact
that they send their commodities abroad
In their own ships and under their own
flag This largely explains why those
countries have obtained an advantage
over the United States in the trade with
South America.
When will the American people come
to q proper realization of our deficiency
in this respect? That they will reach II
sooner or later there can be no doub
and such lessons as that impaired by thu
Sault ste. Marie celebration cannot fai
to have an instructive influence.