The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-01-12
Alexander R. Smith Talks of
 South'S Opportunity
WORK OF SHIP BUILDING
Mir. Smith Is Superintendent of the Marine Association of New York. Will Speak at Commercial
 Club Smoker Tonight.

l held at the Etlllman nOt9l JoHlBnli dINlNSu from Atlanta yesterday morning.
 The subject of MT. Alexanders address will be the Merchant Marine" theme with which he is known to be familiar, as he has been connected with marine af- fairs for over thirty years.
 In 1888 Mr. Smith founded what was known as the "Seaboard', now the ''Nau- tical Gazette" and resigned from that pa- per in 1901 to accept the position of su- perintendent of the Marine Association of New York City.
 This is not my first trip to Birming ham, having been here twice before," said MT. Smith yesterday. On my pre- i vious trip I said, and repeat now there is no section of the country that has deeper or greater direct interest in the building of ships than this very Birming- ham section. Steel is the only material that is now used in the building of mod ern ships, and I understand that 1t can be made cheaper in this district-by s4- than 1t can be made in Pittsburg.
 Second Pittsbura.
 Birmingham has often been referred to as the second Pittsburg see no req son, with the resources at the very doors, why in the course of time this city should not overshadow Pittsburg, where they are compelled to bring iron and coal nearly 1000 miles.
 "All that is necessary is for the pending shipping bill to pass in order to witness the establishment of ship yards in our South Atlantic and gulf ports, all of which will be compelled to draw their chief ma terals from the Birmingham district. l T., 41a Inf foH States today is in the south-at Newport News, Vain which there Is an invest ment of s14OOO0OO.
 There Is no reason on earth why there should not be at least half a dozen more shipyards established in the south if the shipping bill goes through, and then Bir- mingham will become one of the worlds great centers for shipbulding materials, a. circumstance that will greatly hasten the time when we will be able to build ships in the United States as cheaply, if not more so, than anywhere else in the world. All that is necessary to bring this about is steady and constant demand for ships, and the passage of this bill is bound to create such a demand.
 The Foreign Shipping.
 To-day there are 60O0,OOO tons of foreign shipping engaged in our foreign carry ing to duplicate which in the United States would cost over half billion of dollars, and to keep them up and to build new ships each year would involve an annual expenditure of fully fifty million or more.
 q have often been asked if ship own CTS or builders have anything to do with ] ton I can truthfully answer. that while they, or at least some of them are, mem- bers of the organization they have no dominating influence in any way
 "The Merchant Marine league is de- voted to the upbuilding of the maritime interests of the United States. During the last forty years our shipping in the for elgn trade is the one great national in- terest that has failed to keep pace with our wonderful national development. It has steadily shrunk in volume and in- iuence, being less in 1905 than 1t was in 1Sl0, despite the enormous growth of our foreign commerce during that period.
 This condition of our shipping is dan gerous to the nations safety. in that 1t deprives our navy of an essential resource of national auxiliary defence in time of trouble, and for this reason, If for no other, it should be remedled forthwith. It leaves our foreign commerce entirely dependent upon foreign shipping for its carriage a condition menacing to our agri- cultural and manufacturing interests through the ever threatening possibility of the sudden and prolonged withdrawal | of that shipping through disturbances be- tween foreign nations. It renders unstable our possession and development of for ] eign markets for our growing surplus pro- ducts and thus restricts the natural growth of our foreign commerce. It de- prives our people of employment In the building, owning. operating officering and manning of the ships engaged in our foreign carrying. It causes the annual l withdrawal of many millions of dollars from the United States for the payment of freight charges to foreign ships. be- lleve 1t Is reproach to our statesman ship. an anomoly in our natural develop ment and vital weakness in our national armor
 Leagues Object.
 sIt is to present these facts to the American people, to the newspapers of the country dnu lO nitH iiiloiSSASu III national affairs in the hope of arousng the interest of all of those desrous for the welfare of the United States. It's greater security and prosperity. that the league is organized. and that am sent | out to the various commercial bodies in the south Last week I addressed the board of trade of New Orleans Com merclal club of Mobile and the Com mercial club of Pensacola, all of which adopted strong resolutions instructing their respective senators and congress- men to support the measure.
 T am most desirous at the meeting of the Birmingham Commercial club that the members who are in any way interested | in the subject, and who have any doubts or are deslrous of information. that they interrupt me In my talk, for 1 will be only too glad to give whatever informa- ton I may have on this great and alto gether too greatly neglected subject. q might add, that the Merchant Marine | league of the United States Is a wholly national, non-political non-partisan or ganization in which any good American | citizen is eligible to membership. l
 Scares Mother-in-Law to Death.