Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-07-16

laNoAH au0 10 DAtA RNAAaAAe AA0 AAhNAN
hood of enactment. This illustrates the
character Of this coastwise monopoly. 1t
would be remarkable IL the coastwise
fleet, particularly along the coast on
the lakes of the mainland, did not enjoy
a fair measure of success. 1t is hard on
our insular possessions, but 1t helps
American ships plying the local waters
of the mainland. l can see some reason
monopoly has been created and fostered.
1t is not altogether good. for the policy
is sometimes carried to a foolish ex-
treme, as in the case of the Hawaiian
Islands, but II at least has the merit of
partial success to commend 1t. But the
coastwise trade and foreign trade are two
wholly different things. and what has
proven m~easurably good for the one
| been long demonstrated that the same
or similar rules are inapplicable to both.
We can grant a monopoly OF u own
waters and ports, but we cannot mon
opolize the high seas or the ports of the
world. A coastwise fleet is valuable, but
as compared with a merchant marine en-
gagged in the of the world, 1t
is, from a broad, national standpoint, of
the coast and lakes to view the wide
oceans rolling from continent to conti-
nent, it is a rare thing to see an American
vessel riding their crested waves and a
rare thing to see the American flag at
the masthead of an American merchant
man in a foreign port. The magnificent
commercial fleet we once mad SWarmlng
the high seas has disappeared. Our for
eien mails are carried in foreign ships,
and less than ten per cent OF u foreign
commerce, enormous as it is, is carried
in American bottoms. Some impressive
facts nave recently occurred which IL
Iustrate how low we have fallen as a
maritime power. A year ago h gov
eminent had occasion to send troops to
Cuba. No American ship could be, found
to convey them, and the world was
| traotad m the ltIdinrOuS and hnmillatinR
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 marshalled
at Hampton Roads. and from thence
sent around Cape Horn to the Pacific
Ocean. Never in history was there a
more imposing array of battleships con-
gregated under one command. 1t was a
splendid, inspiring spectacle to see this
Incompatible armada sailing out. to sea,
and the people in Central and south
America viewed with wonder the white
PAINTED leviathans, with ponderous arma-
ments, as they sailed along their shores
or rested in their harbors. But another
fleet accompanied this aggregation OF
men-of-war, following in its wake and
other fleet was composed OF merchan1
vessels, carrying coal and supplies fol
the battle ships. These golfers and sup
ply ships were not American vessels, but
l iolCl6l NCDoCAof obblAAo " -~o
1t 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
around the earth accompanied by supply
ships flying a foreign flag n owing ne
allegiance, except that based upon, 6
momentary contract, to the nation they
served. Foreign ships were engaged TO
can ships to be had. What has produced
this situation? 1t is not accidental there
must be a cause for it.. We, are a ma
ton of nearly q hundred million people
our domain is continental in extent W.
have thousands of miles of seaboard OF
the Atlantic, the Pacific and he Gulf
we have insular possessions in both tn
great oceans; we have enormous trad
relations with both the Occident and tn
Orient, and therefore every reason ex
lists why this should be the leading mari
time power of the world. There mus
be some cause for our pitiful failure
and there is. In fact, there are severa
causes, l would like to speak o
them except that it is impracticable, il
an address like this, to discuss the sub
ject in detail. Generally speaking, tn.
vice of it all will be found in our navt
cation laws. The policy of the Repub
lican party has not been so much t
create a merchant marine and put ship
on the sea, as to establish and secure
prosperous monopoly for a few shipyard
on the Atlantic seaboard. The policy. o
free ships, and even the narrower polio
of a discriminating tariff to encourag
| American shipping, and all such things
! augurated the scheme, which has be
come the controlling principle of GU
, maritime policy, of forbidding America
, registry or the right to fly the America
t American shipyard: An American com
pany may buy and WI a vessel of for
t eign make, but it cannot be brough
under the protection of the America
! | aacr Tbara oVo rtIfNnpnI1G inCtnnpnG q
3 ships owned by American citizens Whlc
: fly foreign flags and sail under foreig
registry: Last summer rode across Tn
+, China Sea in an English-built ship owr
t ed by the Pacific Mail Steamship Con
pany, an American corporation, whic
3 was under the command of English off
, GERS and bore the British flag at he
e masthead. This was done, because OF
navigation avs forbade the use of TT
, American flag. Few American ships al
: built for the foreign trade, and but fe
are engaged in it. This is due to tW
e principal causes: First, the cost of COZ
: structing any kind of merchant vessel
81 an American shipyard is approximate
one-third greater than the cost of col
a structing it in European ~shipyards, an
secondly, the cost of operating an Amer
can ship is also approximately one-thil
y more than the cost of operating a foreie
1t ship of similar class. These items
lie larger expense have made it impossib
lie for American ship owners to compe
10 Will lOlClSh snip lC tAS Sh"'
S. of the world. The American cannot a
If ford to pay a million dollars for a vess
1T which can be duplicated by his foreit
competitor for approximately $lOo, "
more in the way of expense for runnil
1t it, and compete at a profit. Republic;
y statesmen are as thoroughly conscious
4 this situation as any Of us, and tn
er nave been long struggling to devise sol
ID remedy for it; but they are hopeless
Y, hampered by their environments. Shi
yard corporations, opulent and powerfl
le rise in the pathway to selfishly obstru
v, them in every effort at intelligent pro
d. ress. The Republican policy now is
LII try the experiment of rehabilitating t
er merchant marine by the payment
n subsidies out of the national treasul
ne bill passed the Senate appropriating )
b. 900, 900 to be paid as a mail subsidy
induce the establishing of steamer III
e. to South America, Australasia n
In the Republican members of both hou'
ed of Congress favor this policy of sub
dies, but there is a minority OF II
party, which SO far has been sufficien
strong, acting In conjunction with I
or Democrats, to prevent its adoption. 7
zee shows that the Republican party, VIII
has succeeded in destroying. our m
er- chant marine, is incapable Of develop
Ise n policy for its restoration. The kans
els City Journal, in the caustic criticism
is which I have alluded, charged, II
he while I complained of the deterioration
m our maritime interests, constan
lie, voted against every proposition lntent
,g- for their betterment. The criticism v
re- unjust. I did oppose the subsidy prope
ton, as many Republicans did, beca
BILE under the circumstances, believed
es- would be a wasteful expenditure resi-
ab- ing in no substantial benefit. The tie
nd Subsidy" in itself does not alright
an England, France, Germany, Japan (;
Ter all the maritime powers give Subsit
On out of their public treasures to Il
in merchants marine. Jefferson was not
of posed to subsidies, nor would I be I'm
the proper conditions and circumstances,
a I do not wish to. give subsidies as pl
or ents, as mere gratuities, to shipbuild
SEQ or ship owners. If the public reven
rst are to be employed in this way, ! m