Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-22

a success, and SO too was the policy they
| adopted for the upbuilding Of our ship
ping and our merchant marine. 1t was
simple and self-operating. It was based
on discrimination not between American
4 interests. but in favor of American ships.
| as against those of all the rest OF the
world.
On merchandise imported in American
bottoms rebate of 10 per cent of the
tariff duties was allowed, and when it
was urged in objection tina this took
| money out of the Treasury they met the
difficulty by providing that all importa-
| tions in ships other than American should
pay an additional duty OF 10 per cent,
| thus putting money into the Treasury.
There was the same discrimination in
tonnage duties. American-built and Amer
| ican-owned ships paying 6 cents a ton.
| while others were required to pay as high
| as 80 and so cents ton.
There was no attempt to distinguish be-
tween fast boats and slow boats, freight
ers or mail. big or little. or to establish
special lines, to measure distances, or
| favor one market over another. or to go
| into any kind of detail. The theory was
| to simply make the investment of capital
in shipbuilding and in ocean commerce
safe and then leave the results to the
laws Of trade.
The Republican Policy.
In 1896 the republican party declared in
| it's national platform for a return to the
policy of discriminating duties. This dec
laration Of party principle has never
been revoked or qualified. but for one rea-
son and another it has not been acted
| upon.
In 1894. a joint committee of the two
| houses of Congress was appointed to
| make a thorough investigation Of the
whole subject. They called attention in
| their report to three certain difficulties
| in the way of a return to this successful
Of he fofh fhof thnx, da6
\ as -iRsuperable. These are the treaties
| that prohibit the resumption by us OF
| that policy, the risk of retaliation and
! the necessary abolition of our free list.
1t Is impossible on an occasion like
| this to do more than merely suggest what
seem to be satisfactory answers. The
| thirty-odd treaties to which the commits
! sion referred were each and all entered
| into with the distinct understanding that
We reserved to ourselves the right to re-
turn to that policy whenever it might
| suit our pleasure to do so subject only
to the provision that in such an event
we should first abrogate the treaties: our
right to abrogate being expressly pro-
vided for in each of the treaties on twelve
months notice.
AS to retaliation 1t does not seem that
we would have much to fear when 1t is
remembered that we would have no for
eign and only 10 per cent of our own
carrying trade at stake, while our COM
petitors would have their own and 80 per
cent of ours involved in such a contest.
But aside from that suggestion no ma
ton has ever successfully or long pur-
sued policy that was based on spirit
Of punishment or reprisal because OF
something some other nation has done
which it had right to do.
Favors Discriminating Duties.
We would, of course. encounter diff
Guilty. but it would be hard to imagine
| +
to the policy Of discriminating duties
than we have had in the vain struggle
that has been going on for the last decade
to secure satisfactory subsidy lesisla-
ton.
From considerations Of this character 1
continue to believe that the Surest and
best way to restore our merchant marine
and 1 continue to believe that when we
shall have done this our flag will again
soon be flying over all the oceans. we
should take that step at once, but that
seems to be for the present Impossible.
In the meanwhile there is no chance for
any kind of help except only that which
Is in the nature of bounties or subsidies.
1t is that or nothing and that is far bet
ter than nothing.
1t is by this means that the 1nterna-
tional Navigation Company, the Ward
Line, the Red D Line and all the other
American ships that are still In commas
sion are being operated. Without TINS
help they would all go straightway out OF
commission and into bankruptcy. we
must, therefore, until such time as we
may be able to do better. avail ourselves
Of this means of keeping alive what We
have, and adding thereto If possible.
The Emergencies Of War.
All hone there will be no more war.
but no one expects that we can forever
escape that calamity. Such emergencies
usually come suddenly and unexpectedly.
We can recruit an army and organize
and drill and discipline it on such short
notice that no more than a mere nucleus
need be maintained in time of peace; but
not SO with the navy. 1t takes months,
even years, for the special training neces-
sary to make men able to successfully
handle our great battleships. with their
big guns and delicate electrical machin-
cry. 1t would be the height of folly to
postpone preparations until danger Is I'M
minent. In recognition Of this fact We
expend annually almost one hundred mil
lion dollars to maintain our sea power at
it's present high state Of efficiency.
In this work wa have more to look
after than ships and guns. They are of
the very essence and yet without value
unless We have men-men to man the
ships, men to officer them and also men
and the best of men to stand behind the
guns. We should not depend for these
| requisites upon others. Our sailors should
I be trained under our own flag. on our
own decks, and IN an American atmos-
phere. 1t is unnecessary to dwell upon
what is so patent to everybody. 1t is.
therefore, a duty of the highest order to
address ourselves to a satisfactory solu-
ton of this great problem. More will be
needed than bounties and subsidies. but
until we can get more let us take what
We can get.
Possibly we may be able to blend SUBJ
-sidies for our mail ships with .discrim-
mating duties that will build up our car
go carriers of all sizes and descriptions
Without the business they command we
never can have that complete success
for which we should strive.
Passing Strange Experiences.
We are passing through strange ex-
periences. The plainest common-sense
propositions with respect to great bust
| ness transactions are whstled down the
wind If they do not happen to suit the
excited fancy of a lot of self-constituted
representatives of an alleged moral re-
generation OF the business world. All
this is unnatural, unwarranted and in
| furious and we are row paying the pen
atty. The most stupendous prosperity
| the world has ever witnessed has been
| checked and chilled. There has been a
| shinkage of value amounting to more than
| 50, O00 900, coo. 1t has affected not only
| Wall street, but the whole country, and
| in greater or less degree all classes of
| people. Just at the time when there
was necessity for redoubled energy in
tension of old lines, the increase of equip
I Ynapf and of tracks and