Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-11-17

partment have promptly recoghiA IL
The wrong TO the merchant marine
In, Owed IN the recent use Of foreiSf
ships 10 convCy navy coal TO Guanta'
namo, Cuba. ard that they have en-
gagged American ships and announced
that hereaft or the department Will IN
sist upon the exclusive use Of Amerl-
can vessels for this service. This Is
exactly what the Marine Kevi.w would
: expect of a department presided over
, ry Acting Secretary Newberry.
Doubtless the use OF foreign ship
ping in the first place was the mis-
taken act of subordinates who paid
small heed to public policy and wer"
not familiar with the true significance
of law. But the use CT foreign ships
under any circumstances fer a snort
coastwise voyage like that to Guam
tanamO. when scores OF American
vess lis were available, was wrong
to the American merchant marlna
which demanded this prompt cOrrec.
ton By the. navy depart ment.
The large seagoing schocners OF
the Atlantic coast. OF which there ar"
several hundred IN cons ant use. are
thoroughly 1T for the delivery OF coal
at Guantanamo. and indeed are fire.
quently employ d for the shipment
OF commercial coal to the West In
dies as well as to the American ports
on III, Gulf OF Mexico. These
schoon"rs. heavily built and strongly
rugged fer the rough work OF winter
voyaeing, are efficient and economical
carriers One OF them has recently
been chartered to carry coal at $l.0o
4 ton to Galveston, as compared with
tn" rate OF $3.50 ton which he
navy department is paying TO for
eign steamer for the shorter voyag"
10 Guantanamo.
Moreover, when the navy dcpar;-
ment. aroused by protests. began TO
make inquiry for American ships i.
found an American steamer ready TO
accept n rate of $405 q ton. coal and
transportation both ircluded. for de
livery at Guantanamo. as compared
with $425 that had been paid for 4
foreign steamer Therefore. II is not
possible for sha erring subordinate3
CT the navy department to plead the
excuse that they wcrt seeking 10
save money for the government. For.
as matter of fact. they have char
tered foreign vessels at a higher rae
than they have found It necessary TO
pay American vessels and, these sub
Cr,iinatrs arc. therefore. absolutely
without defense before their superb
crs and before the nation.
The whole episode Is one dss"rv-
ing Of the severest inquiry by he
naval affairs committees Of congress.
The law of the United States re-
qulres that none but American v'S-
seis shall be used for the transporter
ton of naval and military supplies.
unloSs the prices asked ar" excessive
and unreasonable. This law has been
construed fairly by the president and
those in authority as meaning that
substantially higher price could be
paid TO American than to foreign vcs-
se,s for this service. and there can be-
no usstion that This was the frank
intent Of the national lawmakers to
give a real preference to American
ships. But certain svbOrdinateS CT
the navy department have SO flou,ed
TIL law that they have actually paid
n higher price to foreign than TO
American vessels. The men VINO are
responsible for this act. whoever they
may H.. ought to DC driven out CT the
public service. We trust that this
will be the result OF the investigation
which will he demanded of congress
by American ship owncrs.-Thr Ma
rinc Review.