The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1908-07-17

fleet, particularly along the coast and on
| the lakes OF the mainland, did not enjoy
| "a falr measure OF success. II Is hard on
our insular possessions. but II helps
American ships plying the local waters
OF the mainland. i can see some reason
for the, law under which this coastwise
monopoly has been created and fostered.
1t Is not altogether good, for the policy
Is sometimes carried to foolish ex-
| tremc, AS In the case OF the Hawaiian
Islands but 1t at least has the merit OF
coastwise trade and foreign trade are two
4 wholly different things, and what has
proven measurnbly good for the one
has been destructive to the other. 1t has
been long demonstrated that the same
or similar rules are inapplcable to both.
we can grant "A monopoly OF our own
waters and ports, but we cannot mon
opolize the high seas or the ports OF the
| world. a coastwise fleet Is valuable, but
rs compared with merchant marine en-
gagged In the commerce of the world, II
| liz, from n broad. national standpoint, of
| minor importance. When we turn from
| the coast and lakes to view the wide
| oceans rolling from continent to CONT
nent. II is n rare thing to see an American
vessel riding their crested waves, and n
| rare thing TO see the American nag at
| the masthead of an American merchant
man in foreign port. The magnificent
| commercial fleet we once had swarming
| the high seas has disappeared Our for
eign mails are carried In foreign ships,
and less than ten per cent OF our foreign
commerce, enormous as II is, is carried
| in American bottoms Some impressive
facts have recently occurred which IL
lustrate how low we have fallen AZ n
| maritime power. A year ago the gov
eminent had occasion to send troops TO
Cuba. No American ship could he found
to convey them, and the world was
treated to the ludcrous and humiiiating
spectacle of seeing American soldiers. In
the uniform Of the American army. being
transported for immediate military duty
under the British flag Again, recently
a great fleet OF war ships was marshnlled
at Hampton Roads, and from thence
Ocean. Never In history was there n
more imposing array of battleships con-
greRatcd under one command. 1t was q
splendid Inspiring spectacle to see this
Incompatible nrmadn sailing out TO sea,
and the people In Central and South
America viewed with wonder the white
painted lcvinthans, with pondcrous arma-
nents ms they sailed along their shores
or rested In their harbors. But another
fleet accompanied this aggregation of
meu-ot-war following in It's wake and
constituting part OF It's equipment. This
other fleet was composed OF merchant
VESSELS, carrying coal and supplies for
the battle ships. These golfers and sup
ply ships We're not American vessels. but
foreign vessels, fionting "a foreign nag.
II was q strange spectacle the world be
held. that OF the most powerful nation
on the globe sending the most powerful
war fleet ever assembled nearly half
~
ships flying a foreign flag and owing no
allegiance, except that based upon
momCntary contract. to the nation they
served. Foreign ships were engaged for
this service because there were no Ameri-
can ships to he had. What has produced
this situation? II Is not accidental there
must be a cause for IT, We are ma
ton OF nearly u hundred million people
our domain is continental In extent; we
have thousands of miles of scaboard on
the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Gulf
we have nsulur possessions In both the
great oceans; we have enormous trade
relations with both the Occident and the
Orient, and therefore every reason ex-
lists why this should be the leading mari
time power Of the world. There must
he some cause for our pltlful failure,
and there Is. In fact there are several
causes, and ! would like to speak of
them except that II is impracticable. In
ject In detail. Generally speaking, the
vice OF II all will be found In our navi-
CATION laws. The policy OF the Repub-
lican party has not been so much TO
create a merchant marine and put ships
on the sea. rs to establish and secure
prosperous monopoly for few shipyards
on the Atlantic seaboard. The policy OF
free ships, ana even the narrower policy
OF a discriminating tarin to encourage
American shipping, and all such things,
have been abandoned. Long ago we IN
augurated the scheme, which has be-
come the controlling principle OF our
maritime policy, of forhldding American
registry or the right to fly the American
dag to any ship not constructed in an
pany may buy AMI own a vessel OF for
eign make. but IL cannot be brought
under the protection of the American
flag, There are numerous instances of
ships owned by American citizens which
fly foreign flags and sail under foreign
registry. Last summer ] rode across the
China Sea In an English-built ship own
ed by the Pacific Mail Steamship Com
pany, an American corporation, which
was under the command OF English offi-
GERS and bore the British flag at her
masthead. This was done because our
navigation laws forbade the use of the
American flag. Few American ships are
built for the foreign trade, and but Few
are engaged in it, This is due to two
| principal causes: First, the cost of con-
| strlcting any kind of merchant vessel in
| an American shpyard is approximately
one-third greater than the cost of con-
| structing Il In European shipyards, and,
can ship is also approximately one-third
more than the cost OF operating foreign
ship OF similar class. These items OF
larger expense have made 1t impossible
for American ship owners TO compete
with foreign ship owners for the trade
OF the world The American cannot af-
ford to pay n million dollars for n vessel
which can be duplicated by his foreign
competitor for Approximately 500 900
and, in addition, pay about one-third
more in the way of expense for running
statesmen are az thoroughly conscious of
this situation as any OF us, and they
have been long struggling to devise some
remedy for II but they are hopelessly
hampered by their environments Ship
yard corporations. opulent and powerful,
rise In the pathway to selfshly obstruct
them In every effort at intelligent prog
ress The Republican policy now is to
try the experiment of rehabilttatlng the
merchant marine by the payment of
subsidies out. OF the national treasury
During the last session OF Congress
bill passed the Senate appropriating 49,
900. 600 to be paid as mail subsidy 10
induce the establishing OF steamer lines
TO South America, Australasia and to
the Republican members OF both houses
Of Congress favor this policy of subsi-
dies. but there is n minority of that
party, which 30. far has been sufficiently
strong, acting In conjunction with the
Democrats, to prevent Its adoption. This
shows that the Republican party, which
has succeeded in destroying our mer-
chant marine, Is incapable of developing
policy for It's restoration. The Kansas
City Journal. in the caustlc criticism TO
which have alluded. charged. that
while l complained OF the deterioration OF
our maritime interests, constantly
voted against every proposition Intended
for their betterment. The criticism was
unjust. did oppose the subsidy PROPOSE
ton, as many Republicans did, because
under the circumstances, believed II
would be a wasteful expenditure result
ing in no substantial benefit. The term
Subsidy" In itself does not alright me.
England, France, Germany, Japan and
all the maritime powers give subsidies
out of their public treasures to their
merchants marine. Jefferson was not OPP
posed to subsidies, nor would l be under
| proper conditions and circumstances, but
l do not wish 10 give subsidies as pres
ents. as mere gratuites, to shIpbuilders
or ship owners. II the public revenues
are to be employed Ii. this way. ! must
REASONABLY n
turn, and that the public interest will
be promoted. Az long as the present
navigation laws remain, l do not believe
maritime prestige or to rehabilitate our
merchant marine. unless the subsidies
are so enormous as to make them intol-
erable as q public burden. So far as
subsidies go. IL cannot be expected that
| We will nutatrin nlher cnnntrIes. or that