Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-22
ALL ARE FOR SUBSIDY
Merchant Marine League
Holds Meeting in Cleveland.
MANY NOTABLE ADDRESSES
Assistant Secretary Newberry Talk.
ed on the Naval Reserve.
FEELING AGAINST SUBVENTION
Explanation by Representative
Green Of the Merchant Marine
Committee of the House.
FEELING AGAINST sUBvENTIoN
Special Dispatch to The Star

Special Dispatch to The Star
CLEVELAND, Ohio. December 21.-k
national campaign for the enactment o
ship subsidy legislation by the Sixtietl
Congress was launched in Cleveland to
day at the annual convention Of the Mer
chant Marine League OF the Unite,
States. Conspicuous figures in the ma
tional government mingled with repre-
sentatives Of great business interest
from coast to coast in an effort to solidi
fly the movement for subsidized mer
chant marine.
The convention was the most notabl,
gathering in the history Of the league
Following the Cleveland convention tn,
organization. with representatives from
every state in the Union, will center IT.
activities at Washington.
Senators Foraker Of Ohio and Gallinge
Of New Hampshire will be the principa
speakers at the banquet tonight, which
Will bring the convention to a close.
will be the first public appearance o
Senator Foraker since his declaration tina
he is q candidate.
The first session Of the convention wa
called to order at 10 o'clock at the Hol
lenden Hotel. Ex-Gpv. Herrick was chair
man. Addresses at the morning session
were made by ]. T. McLeary, assistan
poSthAoSSCi SCbCldip lEutIldH II. new
berry assistant secretary of the navy
Representative Greene Of Fall River
Mass, and H. Coulby, president of tn,
Pittsburg Steamship Company, Cleveland
truman H. Newberry. assistant secre.
tary OF the navy, was introduced.
Newberry's Speech.
Mr.. Newberry reviewed the history oil
the American navy and the American
merchant marine at length. He pointed
out that Admiral Dewey in report pre-.
pared in 1905 at the request Of Senate,
Gallinger, chairman Of the merchant ma
rine commission. stated that on the basis
of a strength of twerty-seven battleships
the United States Navy would require
from the merchant marine in serious
war approximately 100 vessels, in add.
ton to large number of tugs. The yes.
sells. especially of the larger size, do not
exist in sufficient numbers in the Ameri.
can merchant marine.
The present cruise of the United States
battleship fleet, the speaker said, is Civ
Ing sharp and unwelcome proof of this
point. All Of the coal required by the
fleet. except a small portion conveyed
by the regular GOLFERS. has had to be In
trusted to foreign tramp" steamers, be-
cause there were not enough American
steamships available. even though Presi-
dent Roosevelt offered to pay American
SLIPS d rate Oh Der cent nlgler lnaI
that given to foreign vessels.
An important foreign war, the assist.
ant secretary continued, would find the
United States with a strong navy the
second navy in the world. very gravely
handicapped by the lack of an ocean.
going merchant fleet of ships and further
Handicapped by the lack of trained anG
prepared reserve of officers and men.
William S. Green of Massachusetts
chairman of the merchant marine commit
tee in the House of Representatives, fol
lowed Mr.. Newberry, and spoke in par
as follows:
Subsidy Sentiment.
There is a great sentiment agains
ship. subsidy in 1.-The central western
states, simply because the people of tina
district do not understand the question
This must be campaign of education.
is said by many newspapers that this 4
a great graft. That Is not so. 1t is al
important business matter of utmost i'm
portance' to the people Of the United
States.
"What I want is results. and I do no
care where 1t comes from. We will nevel
obtain a merchant marine until the peo
pie drive Congress to action. Some of oul
representatives in Congress are afraid
There is talk that this will help some o.
our rich men and trusts. Whatever tn,
are asked why private capital does no
build a merchant marine. The answer l!
that it Is Improbable. and that is VIII!
We need government assistance.
THE building of great merchant ma
rtne would mean almost unlimited labor
yet the labor organizations are opposed t
the proposition. / do not understand 1t
Possibly am too innocent"
The congressman said he was going t.
exert his every effort to have his com
yv,itf Noe irrr n
the subsidy and would do all that coult
be done to have the House act favorably
Nixon on Shipbuilding.
II. Coulby. president of the Pittsburf
Steamship Company, spoke on "A CUES
ton of Business and Transportation" HI
told of the business interests in the coun
try that were suffering from the lack o.
American ships, and said he was heartily
in favor of the subsidy movement.
Lewis Nixon, the ship designer of New
York, spoke next. Mr.. Nixon spoke a.
length upon the details of shipbuIlding
the vast undertaking 1t entafled, the EN-
ployment it would give and the amount
of money that would be distributed among
American workmen as a result. He als<
recounted, in degree, the history o.
shipbuilding and told what other coun
tries had accomplished in this respect.
"Shipbuilding was the keystone Of the
| British nation he said, land 1t is thu
secret of that nations maritime strength
| and success. We have the material ane
the genius and can build boats cheapei
| and better than any foreign country
| What we want is the government to max,
/ 1t possible for our shipyards to becom
active again.
I'VE collect tolls, through the railways
| from our own people. England, through
| her subsidized ships, collects tolls from
| the whole world. and we are England's
| biggest customer. Have We got to stant
| forever and let partisan politics play 1t:
game? Have we no American patriotism
| One OF the causes of the present financia
| depression is the constant drain of golt
| from this country. drawn by the foreign
ship owners. This ship subsidy we ar,
| asking for will benefit every person II
| the United States.
do you know that we pay foreign
| ships $500, COO 600 a year-half the valu,
| of our wheat crop-for carrying our ex
ports abroad? I bring with me a mes
| sage from the New York Board of Trad,
denouncing the humiliation to which thu
| people of the United States are subjected
| in finding themselves unable to get Amer
| lean golfers to send with our battleshi]