The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-10-22
AMERICAN SHIP
MUST Be HELPED
Frederick s. Samuels, writing in the

The Investigations of the Congress
sional Committee of Merchant Marine
and Fisheries, in 1905 and 1906, togeth-
! er with the existing condition of the
American Ocean Marine, prove abso-
lutely the impossibility of the Amer
lean people, unaided by their govern.
ment, sharing in the ocean-carrying
trade. The loss to this country is enor-
nous in the amount paid for ocean
transportation TO vessels of otner ma
tions; and what is even more serious,
Z is that our foreign trade is sadly ham
pered and our power to extend our
markets abroad crippled because the
facilities we are compelled to use are
under control of our commercial rivals.
| Our people have been so concerned in
the internal development of the coun-
! try that they have lost view Of the
wonderful power we once held ON the
ocean, and which up to the period of
the Civil War constituted our principal
importance as a nation in the eyes of
the world.
The $15,00O,00O penalty paid to US
by England for permitting the outfit
ting of privateers in her yards for the
purpose of destroying our ocean trade
during the Civil War, has been paid
back to her since by us hundred fold.
We are paying tribute now, not to her
alone, but to France and GermanJ as
well, and soon our national wealth will
flow in enormous quantities into the
Golfers of Japan.
Before going farther in this matter
depression for the purpose of slim
ulating the reader s mind may be par
dQned. Witness the pathetic feature of
the American battleship feet touring
the world with a trail of foreign YES
sells carrying its supplies: yet without
the assistance of these foreign vessels
the feet could not have come to San
Francisco as it did. Imagine any other
frst-class nation calling in foreign as
sistance to send feet anywhere!
If our fleet happened to be in the
Mediterranean and war broke out be-
tween any of the great powers, we
would have great difficulty in getting
our fleet home If we were suddenly
plunged into war with Japan-or, in
fact, any great nation-we could bare
~ move our feet anywhere until we
had bought up great number of for
eign vessels, and the time lost in do
ing this might, and very probably
would. cost us, if not the frightful diff
ference between victory and defeat, at
least millions and millions of dollars
in frightening out hostilities. Consider
what being unprepared meant to US in
the Spanish War-loss of time in
striking through not being able to
strike cost us over half the total ex
pense.
In case of trouble with a first class
power we shall find that rushing
around, as we did in the Spanish War,
and buying up all the old junk and
robbing vessel boneyards, sending out
troops and supplies in steam sehooners,
yachts and sailing ships, converting
tugs and scows into torpedo boats,
won t do. No; we have got to have
our own ships, built in American yards
and manned by American seamen; and
if to get these ships we have to pay
ten to twenty millions of dollars in
subsidies for the next twenty years,
it viii pay us wen to do it.
The question in the mind of every
one who is unacquainted with this sub
ject-and there are millions in this
country who come under that category
lis, eff foreigners can do our carry
ing cheaper than we can, why not let
them do it?7' My answer to this has
already been broadly stated, but pos
sibly a palmer argument might be
more effective with some. For in
stance, if 100000 Chinese domestics
were given employment at cost of
$90,0o0,0O0 per annum, and they dis
placed 100000 white domestics who
were being paid $10S,000,000 per an
nun, the private individuals would ap-
parently profit by $18,o00,000, but as
nation we would be the poorer, and in
this all individuals would share through
the withdrawal of at least $4,000, 900
gold sent from this country to China;
while in the other case $10S,000,000
would be retained here for further cir
culation. This homely argument ap-
plies to ship subsidies in this wise:
We must pay something to keep our
in our pockets
The only plan that can restore the
American flag to the seas is subsidy !
direct to the vessel that is built in this |
country and sailed to a foreign port, |
and it must be no miIk-and-water |
scheme eitbtr. Give every one a