The Glenwood post., 1906-11-24
SECRETARY ROOT
ADDRESSES TRAN sMIssIsslPPi
CONGRESS.
ON SOUTH AMERICAN TRADE
Woefui Deficiency in Our Merchant
Marine-other Countries Get Bulk
Of the Trade-Advocates Ship Sub

of the Trade-Advocates Ship Sub
| sides.
Kansas City, Mo.-Before the Trans
mississippi Commercial Congress here
Tuesday night, Elihu Root, secretary
of state, delivered his second speech
In this city within two days. His
speech was the feature Of the first
days sessions OF the congress. which
convened Tuesday morning. AS ON
Monday night. Mr.. Root again dwelt
upon our relations with the South
American republics, telling of his re-
4, cent trip through those countries.
He said the time had come for the
expansion of trade between the coun-
| tries of the North and South, that would
result in the peaceful prosperity OF
mighty commerce. He declared that
the means of communication between
these countries must be improved and
| increased, and said the "woeful def
cheney in the means to carry on and
enlarge our South American trade is
but part of the general decline and
feebleness of the American merchant
marine
The representatives of Bolivia, Peru,
Colombia, Brazil and Chile also spoke.
following Mr.. Roots theme closely.
speaking of the possibilities Of invest
ment of American capital in their en-
terprises, and dealing also with the pO
ltical aspect of the situation.
Secretary Roots subject was Com
mercial Union With South American
Republics" He said:
"a little less than three centuries
of colonial and national life have
brought the people inhabiting the
United States. by process of eyolu-
ton, natural and with the existing
forces inevitable, to point of distinct
and radical change in their economic
relations to the rest of mankind.
I'VE have been drawing on the re-
sources of the world in capital and In
labor to aid us in our work. We have
gathered strength from every rich and
powerful nation and expended it upon
these home undertakings; into them
we have poured hundreds of millions OF
money attracted from the investors OF
Europe.
Now, however, the time has come:
both North and South America have
grown up to Blaine's policy; the pro-
duction, the trade, the capi-
tai, the enterprise of the Unit
ed States have before them
the opportunity to follow, and they are
by the far-sighted craftsmanship OF
Blaine for the growth of America,
North and South. in the peaceful pros
perty of mighty commerce.
"In the year ending June 30, 1905,
there entered the port of Rio Janeiro
steamers and sailing vessels flying the
flag of Austria-Hungary 120, of Nor
way 142, of Italy 1G5, of Argentina 2G4,
of France 349, of Germany G57, of
Great Britain 1.7S5, of the United
States no steamers and seven sailing
vessels, two of which were in distress.
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 carrying over ninety
per cent. of our export trade in our
own ships to the carriage of nine per
cent. of the 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 rem
edy 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 af-
forded by the European lines between
those ports and Europe.
what action ought our govern
ment to take for the accomplishment
of this just purpose? Three kinds OF
action have been advocated.
"First-A law providing for free
ships, that is, permitting Americans to
buy ships in other countries and bring
them under the American flag. The ex-
pedient of free ships would be merely
to sacrifice our American ship-building
industry, which ought to be revived and
enlarged with American shipping, and
to sacrifice it without receiving any
substantial benefit.
"Second-It has been proposed to
) establish a discriminating tariff duty
in favor of goods imported in Ameri-
can ships. that is to say. to impose
higher duties upon goods imported in
foreign ships than are imposed on
/ goods imported in American ships. We
tried that once many years ago and
| have abandoned it. 1t its place we
have entered into treaties of commerce
and navigation with the principal
countries of the world expressly agree
ing that no such discrimination shall
be made between their vessels and
ours.
! ITO sweep away all those treaties
and enter upon war of commercial re-
taliation and reprisal for the sake Of
accomplishing what can be done in
directly what can be done d.
rectly should not be seriously consid-
cred.
"Third-There remains the third
and obvious method; to neutralize the
artificial disadvantages imposed upon
American shipping through the action
-
governments by an equivalent advan-
tage in the form of subsidy or sub
vention. In my opinion this is what
should be done; it is the sensible and
fair thing to do"
Sugar Company Fined.
! New York.-The American Sugar