The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-11-06
CONTINUED from Page one.l

Og0, goo TO improve our harDors ana
rivers, the largest benefit Of which
will flow to ships flying the foreign
flag. We are not willing TO subsidize
our ships TO reap the benefit of our
subsidized harbors, but prefer that
they be utilized by the subsidized ships
OF foreign nations. Subsidies were
voted TO prevent the overflow of the
Mississippi and 10 maintain the James
town Exposition. Through the Depart
ment of Agriculture millions are paid
in the nature of subsidies to farming.
The rural free delivery of the Postal
Department is virtually subsidized to
the extent Of millions each year. The
newspapers and magazines through
out the country by the rates given
them as second-class matter in fact re-
ceive a large subsidy. The great work
of building the Panama Canal, carry
ing with 1t an expenditure of 100000
600, is a grand subsidy. Unless some
measure of relief is granted the
American merchant marine, when that
great waterway is constructed, the
tag of the United States will not be
seen on many merchant vessels pass
ing through it, If the American mer-
chant marine is not born again, the
Panama Canal may serve Japan and
the United States. The tiny silver
chord drawing together the arms of
the two great oceans places Hawaii
in direct line of travel between the
Occident and the Orient, making it a
natural port of call. A great boon
Will be conferred upon the islands If
that carrying trade is performed
largely by American vessels, purchas-
ing American supplies, and develop
ing an American guard and outpost
which will in turn protect its mainland
protector.
A subsidy granted by Congress to be
effective should call for a high grade
of service No cargo subsidy is re-
CURED Steamship companies alive to
their own interest viii provide the
requisite cargo capacity. The form of
a mail subsidy, calling for excellent
mail and passenger service, should
produce the desired result. Distances
today are largely relative. CONNER
cial interests demand speedy and COM
Portable means of transportation. No
subsidy should be given for slow
boats. The subsidy should be large
enough to procure fast vessels and per-
nit of exacting and severe terms for
the strict performance of the objects
sought to be obtained. The speedy
passage of the mails should be en-
forced not by Postoffice regulation but
by terms and provisions in the act
itself. failure to arrive on a fast
schedule time should be penalized with
forfeiture of a certain amount of
the subsidy. As one of the objects Of
the subsidy should be the development
of American territory in the Pacific,
provision should be made for reserva-
lions for Hawaiian and Philippine Is
land passengers. 1t was stated this
last year in debate in Congress that
the present Philippine policy has cost
the United States government $780,,
100000. The army transport service is
a part of this expense. Provision
might be made that the steamship line
which would engage in a route run
ming from San Francisco via Hawaii.
Yokohama, Hongkong to Manila, or
any other route by way of Hawaii,
might carry our soldiers as we'll as
army and other government supplies.
The line would thus be performing a
double government service and would
provide a stable communication by
means of American vessels between
American territory bordering on the
Pacific.
Subsidy regulations should provide
for such structure and type of vessels
as would render them available for
auxiliary cruisers. transports or other
wise as a naval reserve in time of
war. Russia, Japan, Germany and the
United States by the expenditure of
enormous sums of money had of recent
years been considered as possessing
great navies. Russia was Classed as
a great naval power at the beginning
.nT har 1t-ar xxith To hYrt thO1ph ha
had vessels. she did not have a mer-
chant marine to support them or from
which 10 draw sailors to man them. |
Russia is the only nation on earth
except the United States that commit
ted the fatal blunder of trying to build
a great navy without at the same time
building a great merchant marine to
support it. Her humiliating defeat, /
her seized and sunken ships present |
by tragic picture her irretrievable mis- |
take. United States is as helpless to- !
day as was Russia in the days of the |
Russo-Japanese war. An object lesson |
is about to be placed before the Amer |
lean people when they will this win !
ter witness the Inability of the Amer |
lean navy to perform a fleet maneuver
from the Atlantic to the Pacific with !
out the employment in tonnage of for |
elSn bottoms 10 carry the necessary
coal and other supplies, our merchant
marine being entirely inadequate for
the purpose. In time of war circum-
Scribed by the laws of neutrality and
thwarted by entangling foreign alli- /
ances. it would be difficult if not we'll |
nigh impossible, to obtain sufficient
foreign tonnage for uses of both the |
army and navy.
As a result of the foreign nation
subsidy as against American non-sub-
sidy, we had leaving Honolulu for san
Francisco during the months of June. |
July and August, 1907. sixteen steam
passenger vessels. of which five were
foreign and five American. Two of the !
American boats made three passages
each with full accommodations for
Honolulu passengers. Three American
boats made one passage each with very