Mexico weekly ledger., 1908-07-16
THE MERCHANT MARINE.

Not long since the Kansas City Journal
raked me with rough hand over not
Goals because Of something / said TO q
reporter Of that paper about the Afneri-
can merchant marine. What / said to
the interviewer was somewhat npon the
line o. the observations ! intend now
to make. ! said then that our merchant
marine, except for coastwlse purposes,
was a thing OF the past. and charged that
the destruction OF the splendid CONNER
s6Icb ne gas v" one f0 6F ths Fioriss e. f tRs
Republic, was the ~outgrowth of Repub-
lican policies, as stupid as they are
selfish. With due respect TO the Journal.
/ repeat that statement IL Is a fact
which none can dispute that outside OF
vessels engaged in coastwise traffic we
have no merchant feet worthy the name,
and Il Is a fact that as a maritime
power we have fallen from the top 10
the foot in the list Of nations. No sincere,
intelligent man will c~ontravene the ac-
curacy OF that declaration. But in
former times It was different. One of the
things that commanded most the atten-
ton and excited the anxiety Of Thomas
Jefferson concerned our maritime inter-
ests. He was an ARDEN advocate Of a
strong merchant marine. He believed
that nothing would add more 10 the
prestige Of the nation or the prosperity
Of the people than a great merchant
feet, going hither and thither across the
seas, bearing the American flag into the
ports Of the world, exploiting markets
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Not only did he regard such a feet as Of
the highest moment because of its great
value as a commercial instrumentality,
but he also regarded 1t as OF the greatest
consequence in times of war, for in
times Of war merchant vessels may not
only be used for purposes of military
transportation. but many may be con-
verted into fast auxiliary cruisers. Under
the wise guidance of Mr.. Jefferson and
those who followed him in the presidency.
the American merchant marine grew
apace until the young republic became
the rival of Great Britain. then, as now,
These are historical facts, known Of all
men, which none will dispute. Under
democratic policies. which prevailed an
terror to the civil war, the merchant ma
rine grew steadily until II ranked as on
of the first in the world. Under Repub
lican policies, which have prevailed sine
that war, the merchant marine has de
Perforated and wasted until now it re
mains as little more than a memory il
these simple statements of undisputel
fact, two pictures are presented which
any American with eyes and the con
scious power Of observation may lool
upon. Even my caustic friend, the editO
Of the Kansas City Journal, can Sc
them without the aid Of spectacles.
True we have a passably good mer
chant feet engaged In the coastwis
trade. This fleet is made up of vessel
employed in carrying cargoes and pas
sengers along the coast or across tn
! lakes from one American port TO an
| other. / do not underestimate its value
although local In It's operations. 1 recog
nlze its Importance and shall always re
/ 1oice In its prosperity. But Is IT an,
: wonder that we have a fairly creditabl
coastwise H~eryice7 Under the law YES
/ sells engaged In that traffic have an alb
soiute monopoly. Only vessels owned an
built in America can obtain America
: registry or fly the flag, and none othe
: can convey passengers or freight froI
one port to another. The situation |
Hawaii furnishes a striking example Q
the scope Of this monopoly. Under tn
law as 1t stands, no person can go In
foreign vessel to or from Honolulu Q
, any port Of the islands to San Francisc
! or any port Of the mainland without FRI
paying a penalty to the government {
800. The Hawaiian Islands are Amer
can territory. and ports established thei
are American ports, All American port
? whether of the islands OF mainland. al
! under the operation Of the coastwii
Z laws, and foreign vessels are forbidden
: under heavy penalties, to carry passei
gers or freight between such ports.
\ often happens that passage can not !
: obtained between San Francisco an
: Honolulu on an American vessel Z,
= weeks at a time. Last summer Senate
Piles of Washington, Secretary Straue
: and others, were In the Hawaiian Islant
: on a seml-official visit. 1t became niece
: sary for The Secretary and n or tu
other members Of the party. to retui
: that no American vessel would sail fro
Honolulu for approximately two week
They were obliged, therefore. to pay Il
3 penalty OF 800 each. In addition to Il
regular fare, for the privilege of pa
! sage to San Francisco on a foreign shi
: Mr.. Piles offered a bill at the last sc
sion providing that the coastwtse Law
!, should be suspended as to passenge
only, not as to freight, between d
Hawaiian Stands and the mainland (
the period OF six years. or until an ad
quate American service was establlshe
. The bill has not been received wi