The San Francisco call., 1909-11-14
URGES NEEDS OF
MERCHANT MARINE
George w. Dickie Calls Atten-
ton to the Necessity of Re-
storing Ocean Commerce
Great Navy Is Useless Unless
Supplemented by Ships
Flying the Same Flag

The policies being carried out by the
United States in her relationship to
other nations will lead her, if not into
deep water. at least onto deep water,
was the declaration made by George
W. Dickie, chairman of the executive
committee OF the Merchant Marine
Lea que Of California. yesterday after
noon at the luncheon Of the Common
wealth club al the st. Francis hotel
Dickie addressed the club on behalf
Of the establishment of a merchant
marine and outlined the system through
which its accomplishment could be Sc
cured
Taking up the history of commerce
on the seas from the Cartha aginian pc
riod TO the present day Dickie reviewed
its various phases. laying great stress
upon the fact that the United States
is today at the foot of the class and
must o. necessity seek some panacea
or eventually be known on the high sea
only through the flag OF the navy.
GOVERNMENT AID NECESSARY
The entire history of water trans
portation." said Diclkie. lis replete with
instances where government aid was
necessary in order that the great re-
suits nov SO pronounced in some for
eign countries were obtainable- Man
chester. Eng. was stagnant city un-
til ii came to the front and with COL
lective funds built the Manchester
canal and established system Of
charges that encouraged ships to
traverse il to this now great city. With
A taxable wealth OF some ss6s,oOO,0O0
before the building Of the canal and
the the establishing of these rates it
Jumped in 10 years TO a total Of
I.1O2. 900 600.
In order TO enter the shipping field
under our flag it means that each ship
must become an instrument TO that
purpose. ....
During the time that American ship
ping was protected by increased duty
charges on all freight coming here in
foreign bottoms the Union iron works
Of this city expended in wages the sum
Of s37 O00, 600 This was divided among
25.0O0 people. With the government
backing a merchant marine this can
be re-established and added to. Not
only here on the Pacific coast viii its
effect be felt but in every ship build
ing port in the country.
MERCHANT MARINE NECESSARY
The United States had needed a big
navy 10 hold prestige and il will need
a merchant marine to perpetuate it,
For without something to support it
llhF a lAlNl AllditA AlA1A iiAt II VII hOA iNAf3
maintain the standing it now enjoys.
"A navy to be successful must have
ships in which to carry supplies, and
this we do not possess"
Dickie pointed to the fact that the
first stamp mill and other mining ma
chinery sent into South Africa went
from san Francisco. This was but 500
tons, and il was necessary to charter
ship for its conveyance. When an
80. . SFas = %
there was no ship to handle it, and it
had to be transported across country
TO New York. then to Liverpool and on
10 South Africa This was the last
order given 10 the machinery manu-
facturers Of the United States
Following this move big ship manu-
facturers went from there to England
and esta blished works solely for the
purpose of obtaining this business. "A
merchant marine means more than the
mere transportation of goods under
our own flag" declared the speaker.
1T means that every officer and every
man employed in these ships will be
engaged in advancing American mar
kets and opening new fields wherein
our commerce viii take root and thrive.
We export much raw material, but
what is this as compared with the
manufacturing of this same raw mate
rial at home. once the product can be
taken TO foreign markets in our own
ships?
''rhe establishment of a merchant
marine means that the factories will
'outnumber the farms, for this can be
made possible, once we have a means
for removing manufactured articles in
ships flying the American flag at a
rate competitive with foreign vessels"
There is but one way to bring about
the conditions sought by the merchant
ma rine clubs of the country, said the
speaker, and that is by following the
system laid down by foreign countries.
THE TONNAGE REQUIRED
THE government should construct
vessels. say, capable Of 1000 tons each
year for 20 years. thus in that time ac-
cumulating a tonnage Of 40. 900, which
would about cover the present de-
mands.
ITO do this the government should
specify the class of vessel required for
a certain trade and grant the contract
10 the lowest bidder. In other words.
II there was a subsidy offered of $780,
900 per annum for line Of ships
American manufacturers could bid in
the contract at any figure below this
amount at which they could operate.
1T will be necessary to educate the
farmer as well as others as to the
close relation existing between them
and a merchant marine.
The cost of constructing and oper-
atsing ships in America is lust the
difference between the cost of labor
in foreign ports and here, and on this
basis il viii be easy for the govern
ment to arrive at fair system of
subsidy"
The Merchant Marine club of Cali
fornis now has a membership OF about
SO, and il is the purpose of the club
10 establish memberships for both
sexes. Its objects are TO begin a cam
paign of education that will aid the
national government in its pledged sup
To-f ~ uaoa Srra for