Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-01-24
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
RcaSonT Why Vic Advocates Snip
Subsidy Measure.

washington, Ian. 23-Thc special mes
sneo by President Roosevelt urging ship
subsidy was read to both houses Of Con-
gress to-day. He said in part
ut must he remembered that American
ships do not have TO contend merely
against the suhsd!zation OF the foreign
compctitors The higher wages and the
greater cost Of maintenance OF American
officers and crews make il almost imros-
siblc for our people who do bushes, on
tho ocean to compete on equal terms with
foreign ships unless they are protected
somewhat as their countrymer who 10
business OF land are protected. We can
not MS country afford to have the wages
and the manner of life Of our seamen cut
down; and the only Alternative il we are
to have scamen at all. Is to offset the OK
pense by giving some advantage to the
ship Itself.
The proposed law which has been
introduced in Congress is in no sense
experimental. II is based on the best
and most successful prccedents. as for
instance, on the recent Cunard contract
with the British government. AS far
as South American Is concerned. its
aim to provide from the Atlantic and
Pacific coasts hotter American lines to
the great ports of South America than
tho present European lines. Tho South
American republics now sec only our
warships Under this bill our trade
friendship will he made eveident 20
them. The bin proposes to build large
sized steamers of sixteen knots speed.
There are nearly two hundred such
steamships already in the worlds for
eign trade and over three-fourths Of
admiralty, or both.
The bill will encourage our shipyards,
which are almost as necessary 10 the IA
tlonal defense as battlcships, and the efi-
cheney Of which depends In largo measure
upon their steady employment in large
construction. The proposed bin is OF i'm
portance to our navy because IT gives
considerable fleet of auxiliary steamships.
such as Is now almost wholly lacking and
also provides for an effective naval re-
serve.
WHAT THE BILL PROVIDES.
"The bill provides for "A steamships,
subsidized to the extent of over a million
and n half from the Atlantic coast, all
to run to South American ports. II pro-
vdes on the Pacific coast for % steamers
subsidized to the extent of two millions
and quarter. some Of these to run to
| South America, most of them to Manila
| Australia and Asia, BE II remembered
| that while the ships will be owred on the
coasts the cargoes Will largely be SUP
| piled by the Interior and that the bill
Will benefit the Mississippi valley as
| much as it benefits the seaboard.
WILL AID IN THE ORIENT
u have raid stress upon the benefit 10
be expected from our trade with South
America, The lines to the Orient are also
| of vital Importance. The commercial
possibilities OF the Pacific are unlimited.
| and for national reasons It is mpera alive
J that we should have a direct and adequate
communication by american lines with
| Hawaii and the Philippines. The existence
of our present steamship lines on the
| Pacific Is seriously threatened by the
| foreign subsidized lines. Our communica-
| lions with the markets Of Asia and
with our possessions in the Philippines,
no less than our communications with
Australia. should depend not upon foreign
but uron our own steamships The South
! west and the Northwest should alike be