The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-23
MERCHANT MARINE FOR THIS
COUNTRY.

the country has started movement
for the transference Of goods in Am
erican bottoms. The numbers Of YES
sells which fly the American flag is
ridiculously small and the ensigns OF
other nations are common on the high
seas while ours is rarity
The guarantee of the sincerity OF
this association is the character of the
Strattan Jr., of this city, is one, as a
member of the state advisory commit
tee.
In communication to the Palla-
dunn the association says in part:
This country is spending millions
of American dollars in digging a Can
al at Panama which will be, in times
of peace at all events, under the pres
emit conditions, solely for the benefit
OF the merchant marine Of our Ger
man, British, Norwegian, French and
Japanese friends; and cannot be con-
6lQcIoQ Ill any way luOACy "Cli oPSAe
for the benefit of American Com
merce, American business interests or
the American flag for the reason that
we have practically no American
ships and the American flag does not
wave from the masthead of anything
in the way of an American Marine.
On the Isthmus there are only Am
erican engineers, foremen and skilled
mechanics There are employed ex-
clusively, though at higher wages
than those for which foreigners could
be procured.
The dredges, engines, boilers, loco
motives, rails, tools. equipment and
supplies of every character are pur-
chased in this country, although the
cost is usually more than that at
which these same things could be pur-
chased in Europe. Practically every
thing is being purchased under the
Joint Resolution of June 25, 1906
which provides that the purchase of
such things shall be restricted to arti-
cles of domestic production and manu-
facture from the lowest possible bid
der unless the President shall in any
case, deem the bids or tenders there
for to be extortionate Or unreason.
able" thus carrying out the policy
"a 1rlr md
American enterprise, which is prob
ably the only right one in view of the
fact that American money is paying
the freight" Everything that has
been undertaken and everything that
has been done down there. with one
significant exception. is thoroughly
American in every way. and that eX
ception is-that all the goods are be
ing transported in foreign vessels, un
der foreign flags by foreign seamer
and the profit therefrom all goes te
foreign shipping corporations.
AS a result of this, in the harbor O
Colon and in adjacent waters, no shil
will be found flying the flag of the
United States unless one of the foul
vessels of the government transpor
service or warship, should happier
to be there.
The 100000 or 100000 tons of Goa
now being used annually on the 18th
mus, the lumber. the machinery an,
supplies of all descriptions, not con
veyed by the few steamers of the gov
eminent line are being carried entire
~ by foreigners.
n any American manufacturer ask
fifty or one hundred dollars for civ
- en- piece of machinery, and it can b
purchased in Europe for ten or twer
ty dollars less, the American is give
the contract. But, if a foreign shi
bids a thousand dollars for carryin
that machinery from New York o
any other American port TO the cana
and an American ship bids eleven O
twelve hundred dollars for carrying il
in this country, the foreigner gets tn
business, every time. That is to sa.
protection rules one transaction an
free trade the other. with the resu
that the construction OF the Panam
Canal. instead of serving America
maritime interests. is actually KILN
off and destroying what little is lei
OF our American merchant marine i
these waters; for in addition to III
reasons already given these foreig
ships, having outward cargoes to c,
lon guaranteed are thereby enable