The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-03-11

New Orleans, March with the
Frye bill practically annihilated by
Overwhelming opposition from the
South and Central West and the
ship subsidy bill bobbing into notice
again, 1t Is not at all improbable that
the strength for and against the
former meausre, an ill-advised and
narrow one at best, will be merged
into tho latter and the restoration Of
the American Merchant Marine begun
upon practical and nom sectional
lines.
The near success of the Frye bill
has created tremendous furor on
the Gulf coast and in the Middle
West, as its passage would place these
sections at the mercy of the North
Atlantic seaboard in bidding for
Panama canal contracts rhe New Or
leans Progressive Union has taken the
lead in the fish. and every senator
and representative and every COM
mercial organization in the sections
interested were stirred to activity in
opposing q measure which has as its
underlying motive the sale Of the
Maine built. shipa to the government
and the capturing OF q $7.000.000 ce-
msnt contract by Eastern interests as
against the West and South.
The Lntin-American and Foreign
Trade association Of st. L,uis wrote
President Philip .Werlein Of the New
Orleans Progressive Union: "our in
terests are. with the Gulf Ports and
we are naturally in accord with SOU
In this movement and will use our
best efforts to prevent this measure
becoming a law" The Quincy, Ill.,,
chamber Of commerce has written the
Illinois delegation in congress: "Our
organisation 4disapproved Of this reso- :
luton on the ground that It would be
better to have competition in trans
porting material and equipnent fcr
the Panama canal and therefore re-
quest that your influence be used
against this resolution"
Mobile. Galveston. Panacsola,
Tampa, Gulfport. Port Arthur. % well
~ interior cities Of the Gulf States.
are in tho fight and the combination
Of Southern and Western influence
has evidently done its work effective
~ a. the bill Il now IN .statuquo. and
Congressman Burton Of Ohio has
come out against the bill and has 30
advised Mr.. Werlein. Z
The Gulf coas: shipping interests
are practically q unit on the ship
subsidy measure but believe that to
restore the, American Merchant Ma
rine II will not only be necessary u
pass q free chip bill but also to pro-
vide subsidy especially for mail
routes. The policy Of England. France
and Germany IL pointed to and the
shipping interests hereabout strongly
favor permitting Americans to build
and equip their, ships at any ship
yard In tho world and to operate
them under the American flag 80 long
as their Ownership IL, American: in
additi IN. 10 allow such subsidy as may
be necessary to Offset the cost Of ope-
rating as against a foreign vessel.
and corfine the construction of ves-
sells under heavy mail subsidy con-
tracts or coastwiss trade, to American
shipyards.
Al change In American navigation
laws also Is favored. At present. q
large percentage Of crews on Ameri-
can vessels must be American and
Americans arc not seafarlng people.
Therefore the supply OF sailors is
lin,itod. Hence the leading shipping
interests favor change which viii!
permit the employment OF seamen OF
any nationality. the officers only to bc
Americans.
For these reasons the fcrcas oppos-
ed ia the Frye bill may By willing to
aid q compromise measure looking
to the American Merchant Marine on
practical lines. which would cOnterr.
plate q mail subsidy and a change In
the present antiqusted American nav
igatlon Jaws.