The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-02
MERCHANT MARINE
 IS VERY NECESSARY
MIR. GRoSvENoR SAYS IT IS THE HAND-MAfDEN OF THE NAVY, AND THE NATION WITHOUT IT IS WEAK.

Washington. February L-In reporting
 to the House today the bill agreed on by
 the merchant marine commission, with
 favorable recommendations from the House committee on merchant marine and
 fisheries. Chairman Grosvenor makes
 some caustic comment on the condition
 of American slipping. He says that for
 egn skipping competitors are scarcely
 rivals; they are triumphant enemies,
 triumphlng over the defeat that has come
 to American enterprise and rejoicing in
 the utter inability of the American people
 to wisely expend their own money"
 Again he says: This bill has stirred the
 sluggish blood in our foreign competitors,
 and they see in it danger to their su-
 rremacy. --sknc wle edging cur triumphant
 rivalry in all branches of business and
 commerce with the exception of this one,
 England has gloated over our weak
 nesses in this belief. England does the
 carrying trade of South America. Eng
 land handles the products of South
 American industries. England crosses the
 mighty ocean and carries away raw ma
 teria that would come to this country 1T
 we had ships trading to South America.
 Comment is made upon the $100,000,00 900
 naval bill, with the conclusion that no nation was ever dominant on the sea in
 time of war that was not strong on the
 sea in time of peace in its merchant marine.'
 In conclusion the report says: We applaud the splendid achievements of Japan on the sea and yet without her merchant marine Japan would have been powerless to have delivered the over whelming blow that she has upon her ad- versary England is mighty in her war navy because she Is migthy in her mer- chant marine Russia was a singular con- trast. and Russia is weak in her mer- chant marine
 If war should come today we would
 not have ten ships in our merchant marine fit to be taken over by the gov ernment for war purposes and we could | not man with efficient sailors one-half | the battleships, cruisers, torpedo boats, | etc of our splendid navy The merchant | marine is a handmaiden of the war navy, | and no nation ever achieved greatness | in one direction which was not strong in | the other"
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