Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1907-02-01


In his special message to Con gress
in favor of ship subsidies, the Presi-
dent says:
.sThe great continent to the south of
us. which should be knit TO us 6y the
closest commercial ties, is hardly in di
rect communication with US at all, its
commercial relations being almost eX-
clusivelv with Europe. Between all the
principal South American ports and
Europe lines OF swift and commodious
steamers, subsidized py their home
governments, ply regularly. There is
no such line of steamers between these
ports and the United States. Ia con-
sequence our shipping to South Amer
lean ports is almost negligible guam
tity. tor instance, in the year ended
June 80, 1905 there entered the port OF
Rio Janelro over 5000 steamers and
sailing vessels from europe and from
the United States no steamers and
only seven sailing vessels, two of which
were in distress.
The statement as to shipping bound
from this country 10 South American
ports can hardly be reconciled with
h /, fact, state oy the New 70 k Jour
nal of Commerce, that more than dozen
regular lines from the United States
to South American ports are adver-
tised every day, and from the port of
New York slone the sailings TO Bra
lillian aud River Plate ports average
more than two week throughout the
IN y
Roosevelt to denounceth that very careful
newspaper-and by the way, cordial
supporter of the Presidents general
policy as selibera,eand unquslified
liar, bat we prefer to believe, with the
Journal of Commerce, that Mr.. Roose-
welt has been mislcd into carelesss
statement. If he meant that the ships
do not fly the American flag, that is 8
wholly different matter; the argument
for commercial expansion by means
of subsidies is quite distinct from that
for the development of an American
merchant marine as an element of
strength in lis relation 10 naval power.
So far as the passage above quoted
from the message refers TO the sutsi
dlzing Of lines from European lports,
acre IS ampls room TO doubt the cor
rectnesS of the characterization given
o. that matter 1t is difficult thing TO
determine just what constitutes SUI
S dy and what is t. be regarded as leg
itimate comp ensation for mail service;
and il is highly doubtful whether, if
the facts were carefully gone into,
much would be left of the contention
that the carrying trade between Euro
pean aud South American ports owes
its existence in any considerable meas
ure to subsidy pap. AS for the general
claim made by the Preside MT TO the
effect that subsidies are an essential
factor in the ocean transportation of
our time, it would seem to be pretty
effectually refuted by the fact-not, so
far as we know, challenged--that
only very small percentage Of the
vast shipping Of Great Britain is sub
died.
The object to super-adding to the
graft that is already imbedded iii our
protectionist system the fresh species
of graft that. would be created by sys-
tenn of subsidies is deep-seAted, and
rightly so, in the public mind. The
least that can be asked of those who
wish to institute This new development
Of Governmental favor is that they
make perfectly clear case as 10 the
facts which they urge in its behalf.