The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-03-13
IN | ! | III |. !: SHIP. | |. /:
SUBSIDY |: .||||)
] Bill. ! |. |. |:
Much Interest Being Shown in
It's Fate By the Depart
ments.
JAPAN Is BUYING SHIPS

JAPAN is BUYING SHIPS
Everywhere and Our Merchant Navy
Is Being Very Badly
Crippled.
ny e. G. Snyder.
Washington, D. O., March 14.--No
secret is made Of the fact that the war
and navy departments are closely
watching the fate of the ship subsidy
bill and are apprehensive lest the for
eign steamship lobby, which, largely
through free transportation to Europe
snd elsewhere, 1t is said, is exerting
ssch a powerful influence on the press
and public men to crush the remnant
81 our once world-famed merchant
navy, shall succeed and the American
N1Ag utterly disappear from foreign
waters. It is q matter of cold -blooded
!. business With these departments. The
department Of commerce and labor
favors the bill because it's passage
Will Increase our commerce which is
the special charge Of that department.
The postofice department 10 behind 1t
because it means the establishment of
new mail lines and the expediting Of
our mails. The, department Of agri-
culture favors it as opening new mar
kets for our farm products, and the
treasury department because increas-
ed commerce means increased receipts
at the customs house. In short, the
departments of Justice and OF the In
terror are the only ones not directly
interested and not therefore heartily
In support of the bill. But. no such
considerations actuate the depart
ments of the navy and war. The Chi-
nese situation is giving them genuine
concern and the part America will
play in the next war in the far east is
the subject Of speculation by the en-
tire civilized world. Postpone that
war two years and let the ship sub
] sidy bill fail and America will cut a
sorry figure, say those most familiar
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 if the
ship subsidy bill is not passed, and
quickly" said an American shipown-
or. here on business with the war de-
partment. The general staff Of the
army made careful Investigation of
the subject and in a comprehensive re-
port detailed the. possible needs Of
army transports. The general board
OF the navy, Of which Admiral Dewey
10 president, did likewise and both
have endorsed practically any prop
csition that will give America ships.
Their representations appealed to the
senate and doubtless will to the house
for in face of the demands of patriot
Ism not even the subsidized agents of
foreign lines can honestly believe that
they can succeed in defeating this
measure. But If they do what will be
the situation on the Pacific? Japan
is reaching out after ships, anywhere,
everywhere. The Japanese merchant
marine is the most completely sub
sidized in the world. The government
a6ves bounties of from eight to twelve
dollars per ton for every ocean vessel
built in Japan. When in operation it
subsidies them for every hundred
miles. And this, with teeming popu-
iation just recovering from an ex-.
.hausting war and the cheapest Of
labor: AS result, Japanese shipping
increased from 100000 tons in 1880
TO 100000 in 1904. It has now afloat
In foreign commerce more steamships
than the United States. Incidentally
--do the two facts appear related PITS
foreign commerce has expanded from
$117,000, 900 in 1894 to s342,OO0.0 900 in
1904. These facts are Of absorbing
Interest in connection with the situa-
ton in the orient. Few doubt that
Japan will some day proclaim sort
of q !" Monroe Doctrine" for China and
that China will accept It. Japan has
already driven Russia back and grace
fully absorbed Corea, which 1t is now,
anaconda like. digesting. Now the
Japanese are bidding for what few
ocean going vessels America has on
the Pacific coast. 1t Is not denied that
4 has options on our line to Australia
and no secret Is made by. the owners
that II the subsidy bill falls they will
cell @3 NJ 4, /.
II is generally believed the Japanese
have options on the Pacific mail
steamers; In any event they have bid
for them also. Now the owners of the
line from Puget sound to Hawaii de-