Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-12-03

lack or Amerlcan SCeamSnlp lines IS now largely done through foreign lines and which, particularly so far as South and Central America are concerned, is done in manner which constitutes a serious barrier to the extension of our commerce.
 The time has come, in my judgment, to set to work seriously to make our ocean mail service correspond more closely with our recent commercial and political development: A beginning was made by the ocean mall act of March 3, 1891, but even at that time the act was known to be inadequate in various particulars Since that time events have moved rapidly in our his- tory. We have acquired Hawaii, the Philippines and lesser islands in the Pacific. We are steadily prosecuting the great work of uniting at the isth- mus the waters of the Atlantic and the Pacific. To a greater extent than seemed probable even dozen years ago we may look to an American fu- ture on the sea worthy of the tradi- tions of our past. As the first step in that direction and the step most feasi- ble at the present time I recommend the extension of the ocean mail act of 1891. That act has stood for some years free from successful criticism of it's principle and purpose. It was based on theories of the obligations of a great maritime nation, undisputed in our own land and followed by other nations since the beginning of steam navigation. Briefly those theories are that it is the duty of first class pow CT so far as practicable to carry it's ocean mails under its own flag; that the fast ocean steamships and their crews, required for such mail service, are invaluable auxiliaries to the sea power of a nation. Furthermore. the construction of such steamships in- sures the maintenance in an efficient condition of the shipyards in which our battleships must be built.
 The expenditure of public money for the performance of such necessary functions of government is certainly warranted, nor is it necessary to dwell upon the incidental benefits to our for eign commerce, to the shipping indus try and shipowning and navigation which will accompany the discharge of these urgent public duties, though they. too, should have weight ..
 The only serious question is whether at this time we can afford to improve our ocean mail service as 1t should be improved. All doubt on this subject is removed by the reports of the post office department For the fiscal year ended June 30, 1907, that department estimates that the postage collected on the articles exchanged with foreign countries other than Canada and Mex leo amounted to $6579, ,043. AS, or S3,637,- 226S1 more than the net cost of the service exclusive of the cost of trans porting the articles between the United States exchange postofhces and the United States postofices at which they were mailed or delivered. In other words, the government of the United States, having assumed monopoly of carrying the mails for the people, Is making a profit of over S3,60o, 900 by rendering a cheap and inefficient serv- ice. That profit believe should be de. voted to strengthening our maritime power fin those directions where 1t will best promote our prestige. The coun- try is familiar with the facts of our maritime impotence in the harbors of the great and friendly republics of South America. Following the failure of the shipbuilding bill we lost our only American line of steamers to Aus tralasia, and that loss on the Pacific has become a serious embarrassment to the people of Hawaii and has who'll ly cut of the Samoan islands from regular communication with the Pa cific coast. Puget sound in the year has lost over half -four out of seven) of its American steamers trading with the orient.
 We now pay. under the act of 1891. S4 a statute mile outward to 20 knot American mail steamships built accord ing to naval plans, available as cruis- CTS and manned by Americans. Steam ships of that speed are confined ex- clusively to transatlantic trade with New York. To steamships of 16 knots or over only g mile can be paid, and it is steamships of this speed and type which are needed to meet the require ments of mail service to South Amer ica. Asia Gncluding the Philippines and Australia. strongly recommend. therefore, a simple amendment to the ocean mail act of 1891 which shall authorize the postmaster general in his discretion to enter into contracts for the transportation of mails to the re- publics of South America. to Asia, the Philippines and Australia at a rate not to exceed S4 a mile for steamships of 16 knots speed or upward, subject to the restrictions and obligations of the act of 1891. The profit of S3.6o0.000 which has been mentioned will fully cover the maximum annual eXpendi- ture involved in this recommendation and. it is believed. will in time establish the lines so urgently needed The proposition involves no new principle, but permits the eficient discharge of public functions now inadequstsly per formed or not performed at all
 Not only there is not nov, but thers never has been any other nation in the world 50 wholly free from the evils oi . mTlitarism as is Ours. There never has beeu any other large nation, not even