Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1906-03-31
SHIP Subsidy BILL
IS CLOSELY WATCHED
Foreign Steamer Lobby Is
Working Hard To-
Defeat 1t
GREAT PROTECTION TO
PROTECTION OF the PACIFIC
PATRIOTISM DEMANDS THAT
SOMETHING SHALL BE DONE
TO KEEP OUR MERCHANT
MARINE AFlOAT.

Washington, ID. c.. March 10. - No
secret is made OF the fact that the
War and Navy Departments are close.
ly watching the fate OF the ship sub
sidy bill and are apprehensive lest the
foreign steamship lobby, which. large.
ly through free transportation to Eu.
rope and elsewhere, II is said. is ex.
erting such a powerful influence on
the press and public men to crush the
remnant of our once world.famed mer.
chant navy, shall succeed and the
American flag utterly disappear from
foreign waters. II Is matter OF cold.
blooded business with these depart.
ments.
The Department OF Commerce and
Labor favors the bill because It's pas.
sage will increase our commerce,
which is the special charge OF that de.
partment. The Postoflce Department
Is behind II because II means the es.
! adjustment of new mail lines and the
eNPediting OF our mails. The Depart.
ment OF Agriculture favors II as open.
ing new markets for our farm prod.
ucts, and the Treasury Department be.
cause Increased commerce means in.
creased receipts at the customs house.
In short. the Departments of Justice
and OF the Interior are the only ones
not directly interested and not there.
fore heartily In support of the bill.
But no such considerations actuate
the Departments of the Navy and War.
The Chinese situation is giving them
genuine concern and the part Amer.
lea will play In the next war In the
Far East is the subject Of speculation
by the entire civilized world. Post
pone that war two years and let the
ship subsidy bill fail and America will
cut a sorry figure. say those most ia.
miliar with the situation.
There will not be an ocean.going
merchant steam vessel In the foreign
trade and flying the American flag on
the Pacific Coast In two years II the
ship subsidy bill is not passed. and
quickly" said an American shipown'
er, here on business with the War De.
partment. The general stan OF the
Army made a careful investigation OF
the subject and in a comprehensive
report detailed the possible needs OF
army transports. The General Board
OF the Navy, OF which Admiral Dewey
is president, did likewise and both
have endorsed practically any propo.
sition that will give America ships.
Their representations appealed to
the Senate and doubtless will TO the
House, for in face OF the demands OF
patriotism not even the subsidized
agents OF foreign lines can honestly
believe that they can succeed In de.
! feating this measure. But II they do,
what will be the situation on the Pa.
clfc? japan is reaching out after
ships anywhere, everywhere. The
Japanese merchant marine Is the most
completely subsidized in the world
The government gives bountIes OF
! from eight to twelve dollars per ton
for every ocean vessel built In japan.
When In operation Il subsidies them
for every hundred miles. And this
with teeming population, Just recoy'
ering from an exhausting war and the
cheapest OF labor.
As a result, japanese shipping in.
creased from $4,000 tons In 1890 TO
$4,000 In 1904. II has now afloat In
foreign commerce more steamships
than the United States. Incidentally
do the two facts appear relatedH-
; It's foreign commerce has expanded
J from $4,000. 900 In 1894 to s3i2,000,'
900 In 1904. These facts are OF absorb
ing interest in connection with the sit.
uation In the Orient. Few doubt that
Japan will some day proclaim a sort
of Monroe Doctrine" for China and
that China will accept. Japan has
already driven Russia back and grace
fully absorbed Korea, which Il is now
anaoonda,like, digesting. Now. the
Japanese are bidding for what few
ocean.going vessels America has or
the Pacific Coast II Is not denied that
II has options on our line to Australia
and no secret is made by the owners
that II the subsidy bill fails they viii
sell.
II Is generally believed the Japan
ese have options on the Pacific Mai
steamers; in any event they have bio
for them also. Now the owners of tn,
line from Puget Sound to Hawaii de
. clare they will be compelled to with
draw their ships II the bill Is beaten
That will leave the Pacific Coast de
nuded of American vessels and II
J case OF trouble in China or the Philip
) pines, where will the navy get its col
!. Hers and the army its Transports
This is what is now giving the officiall
of these departments concern. Thos'
who scout the suggestion of an Amer
lean merchant marine, take tn,
ground that II English, French. Ger
man and Japanese subsidized ship
will carry our commerce cheaper thar
Americans can, let them do SO an(
pocket the money. But what the Wa
o and Navy Departments want to know
. is whether In case Of trouble In tn,
= Far East, the Germans, Japanese
d French and English will be kline
enough to transport our troops ant
aunnlies2