The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-25

cuiated that the last feature would in
crease the shipping under the American
flag I'm the foreign trades 100000 tons
eventually. whereas the house bill viii
not add over 10000 tons OF new steam
ships to the American register When
IL Is considered that between 1900 600 and
100000 tons of ships are now required for
the foreign carrying OF the United States
the addition or subtraction of 15e000 tons
under any particular flag does not APP
pear, in bread sense. very formidable.
Will Not Help Trade.
Students Of the effects of this measure
do not calculate that the additional or
substituted trans-Pacific steamships re-
quired VIII add materially to the trade
between the United States and the Orient
But they claim that the effect OF its
passage will be to keep under the Amer
lean flag ships that are now. without the
aid provided for in this bill. steadily los
ing money and likely to be taken off the
route at any time. 1t is admitted that
the best American line TO the Orient from
Paclflc ports (the Pacific mail lne) has
not paid a dollar of dividend upon its
STOCK Tor seven years. 1t is a fact not
generally known that the steam ships
Mongolia and Manchuria of this line.
sister ships OF 1900 tons gross register,
anu Dullt IN 1893 are not owned by the
steamship company, but are owned by
the Union Pacific Railroad company.
which owns the Southern Pacific Rail-
ROAD company, the latter owning a ma
gority of the stock of the Pacific mail
me, II IS asserted that the ships of the
BOsfcn steamship company and the two
treat Northern railroad ships. running
from Puget Souno to the orient. are op-
efatlnS at loss. The Great Northern
shlps are in competition with subsi-
dlzed japanese line Of three steamships,
receiving 100000 a year. The Pacific
mail ships are in competition with a line
OF three Japanese ships that receive near
~ SsO0,VH year subsidy. and for which
line there are now building in Japan two
turbine steamships of 13.eo tons each.
Two Former Failures.
Those who would encourage the Amer
lean merchant marine by this legislation
center their greatest hope of profitable
results in the proposed lines to South
America Twice ines to Brazil have been
subsidized by the United States and
twice they have failed; in the first in
stance il is said because the ships were
not large enough and in the second in
stance because they were too large for
the trade. It is Secretary of State Root :
tour of South America and his glowing
accounts as to trade possibilities If swift
lines of American steamships are estab-
hshed rendering direct and frequent SER
vice, and the fact that ..se president,
WITH characteristic enthusiasm has made
these views his own. that have concen-
trated attention especially upon the pro-
visions in the bill for new lines from At
4lantfc ports to Brazn and to Argentina
and from Pacific ports to Peru and Chile
Claims of Subsidy Advocates.
These are the three lines that deserve
the attention of British and European
shipping interests If these new lines
increase trade between the United States
and Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay. Peru
and Chile doubtless to some degree they
will curtaii the present trade between
those South American republics and Eu-
ropean countries. There are some how
ever, who believe that the traffic that
win be carried over the new lines will
be created by them and will not cut seri-
ously, and perhaps not perceptiDly, into
the trade of SOuIn America with Europe.
More enthusiastic prophets here profess
to foresee a large diversion of both travel
and trade from South American countries
to the United States, in place of that
which has grown to such large proper
tons with Europe. These prophets be-
lieve that it is only necessary TO make
business men in South America realize
the extent and variety of industries of
the United States and observe the quality
and the ices at which their products
can be placed in South America, to fos-
ter a great and profitable trade The
chief obstacle to trade between the Unit
ed States and South America originates
in the lack of direct am frequent sail
ings of steamships with modern fittings
and conveniences- This has made it nee
essary for transportation in both direc-
tions between the United States and the
east and west coast of South America to
take the route by way of Europe. Con-
I
content themselves with visits 10 the
/ markets. of Europe and the United King
| dom and do not tane the trouble to cross
| the Atlantic to the United States, know
| ing that they will have to repeat that
| voyage to return home. This situation
| would be altered greatly by the establish
ment OF the direct ocean mail lines
Middle West Opposed.
Ii can be said that not only President
! Roosevelt but every member of his cab
| met who is officially interested in the
| development of foreign commerce. es-
pecially with tbs southern continent, en-
| Enthusiastically favorS this shipping bill
The president and Secretary of State
Root are known to have argued earnest
| ly with Speaker Cannon, who hitherto has
! opposed ship subsidies. and in conse-
puence his attitude has been greatly mod
/ flied
| of representatives is more geographical
/ than political The members from the
/ southern states. being Democratic and
] largely opposed. in theory at least, to tbs
| doctrine of legislative encoura cement OF
1 industries, including the carrying trade
are opposed almost to man TO this bill
/ But the opposition is almost equally pro
nounced among members from the middls
gan. Indiana. Wisconsin. Minnesota
/ Iowa. Nebraska, Kansas and the two Da.
kotas. Even with the influence of the
president and in less degree that of the
speaker in favor of the bill, it has beer
found difficult TO enlist more than Q
small minority of the Republican mem.
bers from these states in its support
/ Even though welded to the protective
/ system. these middle western Republic
ans baIk at extending it to American
shipping in the foreign trade. although
/ they aequiesce in the prohibitive protec-
/ ton against any foreign shipping thai
has been extended uninterruptedly fol
ninety years in American shipping in tbs
| coastwise trade.
Public Not interested.
Al the very outset of its history. the