The Washington herald., 1906-11-21
NEED SHIPS TO WIN
TRADE, SAYS ROOT.
coNr1NuEp FRoM FIRsT PAGE.

CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE.
and Carthagena-all Of the great ports
and a large proportion of the secondary
ports of the southern continent. l saw
! only one ship, besides the cruiser that
carried me, flying the American flag. The
mails between South America and Europe
are swift, regular, and certain; between
South America and the United States
| they are slow. irregular. and uncertain.
! Six weeks is not an uncommon time for
a letter to take between Buenos Ayres or
Valparaiso and New York.
THE merchant who wishes to order
American goods cannot know when his
order viii be received or when it will be
| nned. The freight charges between the
South American cities and American cities
are generally and substantially higher
than between the same cities and Europe;
at many points the deliveries of freight
are uncertain, and its condition upon ar
rival doubtful
Best Way TO Travel Is via Europe.
''The passenger accommodations are
such as to make a Journey to the United
States a trial to be endured. and jour
ney to Europe a pleasure 20 be enjoyed.
"The best way to travel between the
United States and both the west coast
and the east coast of South America is
to go by way Of Europe, crossing the At
lantic twice. It is impossible that trade
should prosper or intercourse increase or
mutual knowledge grow 10 any great de-
gree under such circumstances. The COM
munication is worse now than it was
| twenty-five years ago. So long as it Is
| left in the hands Of our foreign competi-
tors in business we cannot reasonably look
| for any Improvement. It is only reason
able to expect that European steamship
| lines shall be so managed as to promote
European trade in South America, rather
/ than TO promote the trade OF the United
States In South America.
This woeful deficiency in the means to
carry on and enlarge our South American
trade. is but a part Of the general decline
and feebleness OF the American merchant
marine, which has reduced US from carry
/ ing over ninety per cent Of our export
trade in our own ships to the carriage
of nine per cent of that trade IN our
own ships. and dependence upon foreign
ship owners for the carriage of ninety
one per cent The true remedy, and the
/ only remedy is the establishment Of
! American lines OF steamships between the
! United States and the great ports of
! South America, adequate to render fully
! as good service as is now afforded by the
European lines.
ship Subsidy Only Remedy.
THE artificial disadvantages imposed
upon American shipping through the ac-
/ ton Of our own government and foreign
| governments. might be neutralized by an
! equivalent advantage in the form Of a
/ subsidy or subvention- In my opinion
| this IS what should be done; II is the
/ sensible and fair thing to do II is what
must be done if we would have a revival
/ Of our shipping and the desired develop
ment Of our foreign trade. We cannot
repeal the protective tariff; no political
party dreams of repeating il; we do not
wish to lower the standard Of American
/ living or American wages. We should
/ give back TO the ship owner what we
\ take away from him for the purpose of
/ maintaining that standard, and unless we
/ do give it back. we shall continue TO go
/ without ships.
How can the expenditure Of public
money for the improvement of rivers and
/ Earb0rs 10 promote trade be justified upon
any grounds which do not also sustain
| this proposal? Would any one reverse
! the policy that granted aid 10 the Pacific
railroads. the pioneers Of our enormous
! internal commerce. the agencies that built
4 up the great traffic which has enabled
/ half dozen other roads 20 be built in
/ later years without assistance2 Such sub
| veutions would not be gifts. They would
/ be at once compensation for injuries in
/ hicted upon American shipping by Ameri-
Na.ss q.
fits received by the whole American peo-
| ple-nOt the shippers OF the shipbuilders
or the sailors alone. but by every manu-
| facturer, every farmer. and every mer-
/ chant whose prosperity depends upon a
market for his products.
Is for People 10 Say.
The bill now pending in the House is
a bill framed upon the report Of that
I merchant marine commission. The oues-
ton whether 1t shall become a law
/ depends upon your Representatives in
/ the House. You have the judgment OF
/ the Postmaster General, you have the
/ judgment Of the Senate, you have the
/ judgment OF the President; If you agree
with these judgments and wish the bill
| which embodies them TO become a law,
say so to your Representatives. Say it
10 them individually and directly. for 1t
/ is your right to advise them and il will
/ be their pleasure 70 hear from you what
/ legislation the interests of their constit.
uents demand.
1t is for you and the business men
all over the country whom you repre-
sent, TO show the to Representatives in
Congress that the producing and COM
mercial interest Of the country really de-
sire a practical measure TO enlarge the
markets and increase the foreign trade of
/ the United States, by enabling American
| shipping to overcome the disadvantages
! imposed upon It by foreign governments
/ for the benefit of their trade and by our
/ government for the benefit Of our home