The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-02-25
Ga!llnger Reviews Conditions un-
dor Which Ships Operate.
RAISES NO new ISSUE
II Leaves Existing Steamship Services
Exactly as They Are Now--Only
Eigh. Of the Fifteen Ships That Ply
the Pacific Are Left

WARRINGTON, Feb, A.--Speak.
Ing In favor OF the passage OF the
ocean mail subsidy bill in the Senate
today. Senator Callinger reviewed
conditions under which the merchan,
marine OF this country Is operating,
and cited many advantages that he
believes viii accrue 70 the CONNER.
cial interests OF the United States II
better mail service TO South America
and other points Is established.
THE bill raises no new issue, intro
duees no new principle said Mr.. Gal
linger, 1T leaves existing and pro-
spectivc steamship services exactly as
they are now. and without changing
one iota the tried and approved meth.
DDS Of the present law, increases the
compensation on routes which Is
years Of experience have conclnsively
proved to be inadequate-the long.
costly and important routes to South
America and the Orient. the routes
where Our lack Of steamship service
Is severest aud our need Of such SER
vice most imperative
Only eight Of fifteen ships that
were plying across the Pacific Ocean
last March arc left, he said.
Since the shipping bill Of the last
Congress was defeated almost one
half Of our feeble Americana Pacific
naval reserve has disappeared" he
added. "and when Admiral Evans
steers up through the Golden Gate
from the Straits Of Magellan, we shall
have the gro,esquc disproportion in
the Pacific OF two battleships to every
commercial vessel engaged in foreign
trade-a sight which has never yet
been seen beneath the sun.
"And unless the new shipping bill
Is speedily passed we shall see an
even more grotesqne disproportion
than that--i6 battleships and not one
commercial steamer In the Pacific
away from the ports Of the United
States. For the remnant of merch-
ant marine in that mighty ocean Is
now facing the absolute extinction
which long since overlook our com.
mereial feet on the routes to South
Am rica.'
Only 100000 a Year.
The passage OF this bill, he predic-
ted, will revive the waning American
marine and all that the bill seeks can
be accomplished for 100000 a year.
Il would strengthen the Pacific lines
and create new lines to the Southern
Hemisphere. II would, he said,
promptly establish a line from the
Atlantic Coast to Brazil and another
to Argentina. a line from the South
Atlantic or Gulf Coast to South
America, and similar communication
to the Pacific Ocean.
The proposed payment for these
advantages is about half the amount
England and France pay for their
steamhsip service and less than is
paid by Japan. Last year the United
States made a profit of S3,600,000 on
Its carriage Of foreign mails, and he
hoped to have at least that amount
devoted TO building up the foreign
mail service.
In view OF these facts he said,
need we wonder that in spite of the
Monroe Doctrine we are being shoul-
lered out Of the South American re-
publies by other people whose gov
,rnments understand the relation be-
!ween ships and trader Great Brit
an, France, Germany, Italy and Spain
nave long had their own steamship
ines to South American markets.
Japan had no sooner closed her vic
orous war with Russia than she sub
'idized into existence steamship
inc across the Pacific to Peru and
Chile, and our Consuls note that this
s about to be extended to Argentine
Ind Brazil. What mockery of fate
I Is that the people Of a hermit ma
ion, which the United States 90 years
lgo first opened and introduced to
he modern world, should now be
'blc to boast better, more regular
md more direct shipping facilities
han America, The most smarting
ind humiliating episode of the entire
,ear is the revelation which the great
,attleship feet is bringing out around
south America
More than 20 new and powerful