Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-16
SPIRITED DEBATE
ON SHIP SUBSIDY
Form of Recommendation the
Bone of Contention.
OPPOSITION TO ALL PLANS
Text of the Resolution as Finally
Adopted by Convention.
PLEA MADE FOR TARIFF REFORM
Obstacles to Foreign Commerce Point
ed Out by Advocate of
Change in Law.
OPPOSITION TO ALL PLANS
Text of the Resolution as Finally
Adopted by Convention.
PLEA MADE FOR TARIFF REFORM

Ship subsidy was the rock upon
which the national convention tor
the extension of foreign commerce
narrowly escaped splitting this
morning. 1t was not subsidy in the
abstract. though there were obJec-
tons voiced to the whole PROPOSE
ton to recommend subsidy legisla-
ton by Congress, but the particular
form of the subvention to be most
highly Endorsed by the convention.
The session of the convention this
morning, as result of the subsidy
discussion, was the warmest in the
whole three days, though there was
considerable debate late yesterday
afternoon before formal indorse-
ment was secured for the maximum
and minimum tariff proposition
raised in his speech by Secretary
of State Elihu Root.
The question of subsidies was brought
actively before the convention IN one Oh
the resolutions reported faVorapy ny 'ue
committee resolutions. ana FRANCIS d:
I,oomis former assistant secretary oi
state as chairman of that committee hdu
scarcely completed the reading of the para
graph prepared by himself and associates
before demands for the privilege of the
floor came from at least dozen quarters
Former Representative Douglass OF Ne"
York came forward with a substitute 1of
,J,,fin yxhi -
acterzed as more comprehensive than the
latter and which, he said, put the con-
vention in the position of lndorslhg ana
strongly urging the passage OF the original
Senate bill 90.
over this a storm of protest arose. and
speeches in opposition were made by Cor
nelius N Bliss of New York, Aaron Jones.
representing the rangers of America: j.
Hampden Dougherty of New York and
Others while Mr.. Douglass and dozen
faithful adherents chamDioned the sub
stitutes which he offered. Finally the ques-
ton was put to vote and the proposed
substitution was lost by a consideral ma
jority. The original resolution prepared
by the committee was then put to vote and
it was adopted without furthe- opposition.
Text of the Resolution.
This resolution reads follows:
I'VE believe it imperative that the Ameri
can merchant marine should be -estab-
lished and that new steamship lines of d.
rect and speedy communication should be
opened, especially with South and Central
American and Asiatic ports for the proper
extension of our commerce.
ITO this end we recommend liberal COM
pensation from the government to Ameri
can-built and American manned ships for
all services rendered, including the car
riage of mails and the right to use the
ships in time of war.
Obstacles to Commerce.
At the opening of the morning session
President McCarroIl introduced Thomas s.
Osborne of Auburn, N Y, to make an ad-
dress on obstacles to Foreign Commerce.
Mr.. Osborne made an earnest appeal for
immediate tariff reform, and great applause
greeted the keynote of the address. in which
the speaker said: If your tariff is not
formed with care and moderation now it
may be reformed in haste and without
moderation later on, as a new spirit Is
abroad in the land. which means death to
all forms of special privilege"
Mr.. Osborne argued against the sugges
ton made by Secretary De Lima that the
reforming of the tariff he postponed until
1909 on the ground that experience had
shown that before election tariff reform is
always proclaimed to be inopportune and
after election to be unnecessary Laughter
greeted the speakers sally when he said:
IF there is one political figure more funda-
mentally absurd than another it is the
statesman who clamors for ship subsidies or
other artificial stimulus to foreign COMPETE
ton on the hand and cries out for
high protective tariff the other" He
pleaded for better understanding and
acknowledgement of the rights of foreign pur-
chasers to buy what they want. whether
or not it accorded with the sellers ideas.
In summing up Mr. Osborne said: These
are what seem to me to be the three great
obstacles to the extension of foreign
commerce.:
"FirSt-An aggressive political attitude
n IN ton ord M hnr n n MI ich
not lead to friendly feelings on the part of
foreigners toward Americans.
''Second-An ignorance of foreign needs
and foreign methods of commerce. which
often prevents from Offering to foreign
buyers what they want in the way they
want II.
"Thlrd-A high protective tariff, which
by keeping out foreign goods from our
markets tends to keep out our goods from
foreign markets. preventing the natural
flow of goods out as well In and pruvok-
ing tarin retaliation
Address by Secretary Stratus.
Oscar Straus. Secretary of Commerce and
Labor, was the principal speaker before the
afternoon session of the convention yester-
day. He discussed the general subject of in
terna tional relations and commerce, holding
that the friendly sentiment which exists
between nations while due in many cases
to descent from common stock and to
the presence in one country of many former
citizens of another. is also due to the exist