The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1908-07-18

Of the mainland. 1 can see some reason
Tor the law under which this coastwise
monopoly has been created and fostered-
II is not altogether good, for the policy
Is sometimes carried to a foolish eX-
| treme, as in the case Of the Hawaiian
Islands, but It at least has the merit OF
partial success to commend it But the
coastwise trade and foreign trade are two
proven measurably good for the one
has been destructive to the other. 1t has
been long demonstrated h a the same
or similar rules are inapplicable TO both
We can grant a monopoly of our own
waters and ports, but we cannot mon
opo1ze the high seas or the ports or the
world. A coastwise feet is valuable, but
as compared with a merchant marine en-
gagged IN the of the world. it
! is, from a broad, national standpoint, OF
minor Importance. When we turn from
the coast and lakes to view the wide
oceans rolling from continent to conti-
nent, it is rare thing to see an American
vessel riding their crested waves ana a
the masthead of an American merchant
man IN a foreign port The magnificent
commercial heet we once had sWarmlng
the high seas has disappeared our !or-
eign mails are carried in foreign ships,
and less than ten per cent of our foreign
commerce, enormous as it is, is carried
facts lave recently occurred which IL
lustrate how low we have fallen as a
eminent had occasion to send troops to
Cuba. No American ship could be found
10 convey lneHt anu LG WOLA0 was
treated to the iudicrous and humiliating
spectacle of seeing American soldiers, IN
the uniform Of the American army, PENS
transported for immediate military o9Iy
under the British flag. Again recently
a great fleet of war ships was marshalled
sent around Cape Horn to the Pacific
Ocean. Never in history was there a
more imposing array of b~attleships con-
: gregated under one command. 1t was a
splendid, inspiring spectacle to see TINS
Incompatible armada sailing out to sea,
4 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 ana
constituting a part OF It's equipment rms
other feet was composed Of merchant
vessels, carrying coal and supplies Tor
the b~attleships. These Golfers and sup
ply ships were not American vessels, but
foreign vessels. floating a foreign nag.
1t was a strange spectacle the world be-
held, that of the most powerful nation
on the globe sending the most powerful
war fleet ever assembled nearly naII-
around the earth accompanied by supply
ships flying a foreign flag and owing no
allegiance, except that based upon q
momentary contract, to the nation they
served. Foreign ships were engaged Tor
this service because there were no Ameri-
can ships to be had. What has produce
must be a cause for it. We are a ma
ton of nearly a hundred million people;
our domain is continental in extent; we
the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Gulf
we have insular possessions in both the
great oceans we have enormous trade
relations with both the Occident and the
Orient, and therefore every reason ex-
lists why this should be the leading mari
time power of the world. There must
be some cause for our pitiful failure, /
and there is. In fact, there are several
them except that it is impracticable, in
ar address like this, to discuss the sub
ject in detail. Generally speaking, the (
vice of It all will be found IN our naEl-
lean party has not been so much to
create a merchant marine and put ships
on the sea, as to establish and secure a
prosperous monopoly for a few shipyards
the Atlantic seaboard. The policy of
free ships, and even the narrower policy
Or a discriminating tariff to encourage
have been abandoned. Long ago we in
augurated the scheme, which has be-
policy, of f~orbidding American
or the right to fly the American
flag to any ship not constructed in an
~shipyard. An American COM
pany may buy and own a vessel of for
eign make, but it cannot be rough
the protection of the American
There are numerous instances of
hips owned by American citizens which
hy foreign flags and sail under foreign
registry. Last summer i rode across the
China Sea in an English-built ship own
ed by the Pacific Mail Steamship Com
was under the of English Off
GERS and bore the British flag at her
masthead. IhlS was done because our
navigation laws forbade the use of the
lag Few American ships are
built for the foreign trade, and but few
are engaged IN IL Ihls rs que 70 Two
causes First, the cost of con-
structing any kind of merchant vessel in t
an American shipyard IS approximately I
greater than the cost Of con- :
It in European ~shipyards, and, !
secondly, the cost of operating an Ameri- :
ship is also approximately one-third T
more than the cost of operating a foreign :
ship of similar class. These items Of Z
"a rernr aWnanG hnsWa made II Hnn0ECThNn z a.
lor American ship owners TO compete j
With foreign ship owners for the trade t
ord to pay a million dollars for a vessel :
which can be duplicated by his foreign :
for approximately 500. 900. +
md, IN addition, pay about one-third 5
more in the way of expense for. running =
[, and compete at a profit Republican 4
statesmen are as thoroughly conscious of =
his Situation as any Of US, and they I
AVE been long struggling to devise some :
'emedy for It; but they are hopelessly n
ard corporations, opulent and powerful. :
.ise in the pathway to selhshly obstruct :
'ess. The Republican policy now is 10 :
~ the experiment of rehabilitating the :
marine by the payment of =
out of the national treasury. 1
During the last session of Congress a {
ill passed the Senate appropriating 50, :
90. 600 TO be aid as a mail subsidy TO :
o South America, Australasia and to Z
and China A large majority of i
ne Republican members or DOLn houses =
II Congress favor this policy of subsi- 1
lies, but there is a minority of that E
which so far has been sufficiently l
ltrong, acting in conjunction with the ,
to prevent its adoption. This =
that the Republican party, which c
las succeeded in destroying our mer- 5
marine, is incapable of developing =
/ policy for its restoration The Kansas q
cfty Journal. in the caustic criticism to Il
which I have alluded. charged, that =
While I complained of the deterioration OF q
lur maritime interests. I constantly T
against every proposition intended I
or their betterment. The criticism was G
Unjust / did oppose the subsidy PROPOSE b
ion, as many Republicans did, because f
inder the circumstances, I believed II e
would be a wasteful expenditure result a
ng in no substantial benefit. The term o
subsidy" In itself does not alright me. C
england, France, m Japan ana n
III the maritime powers give SUBSIDIES o
tut of their public treasures to their C
merchants marine. Jefferson was not OPP s
to subsidies, nor would l be under t
conditions and circumstances, Dull o
do not wish to give subsidies as pres t
,nts, as mere gratuities, to |Shipbnllders [
" ship owners. If the public revenues c
ire to be employed in this way. ] must a
urn, and that the public interest VIII v
De promoted. AS long as the present II
navigation laws remain, I do not believe
hat subsidies viii suffice to restore our 6
prestige or to rehabihtate our +
merchant marine. unless the subsidies a
ire 50 enormous as to make them ntol- h
as {. public burden. So far as :
go. II cannot be expected that =
We Will outstrip other countries, or that y
hnw mill not NEna. Dnan HrE lis hi a ~