The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-01

generous exhibitors at American ex-
positions and he wished success to the
approaching japanese worlds fair.
The Canadian building was to have
ended the presidents tour, put ne
said: 49,
He Wanted to See More.
"I want to see more of this
Luncheon in the New York state
building was served, without speeches..
In his address in the natural ampnl-
theater, the president said regarding
the ship subsidies:
at behooves us Americans interest
ed in pushing our trade into every
quarter of the globe to take steps 10
repair a condition that exists in re-
spect to our merchant marine tnat Is
humiliating to our national prlde ana
most burdensome to us in compeutlon
with other nations in obtaining inter-
national trade.
1--WE maintain a protective tariff to
encourage our manufacturing, Iarm-
ing and mining industries at home'
within our jurisdiction, but when we
assume to enter into competition upon
the high seas in trade between inter-
national ports, our jurisdiction TO con-
troll that trade as far as the vessels OF
other nations are concerned OF course
ceases. and the question which we
have to meet is how, with the greater
wages that we pay, with the more
stringent laws that we enact for the
protection of our sailors and with the
protective system making dinerence
in the price between the necessaries
to be used in the maintenance or
merchant marine, we snail enable
that merchant marine. to compete
with the marine of the rest OF the
world.
This is not the only question either,
for it will be found that there is now
extended by way of subsidies by the
various foreign governments to their
respective ships upwards of $35,OOOOOO
and this offers another means by which
in the competition the American mer-
chants ship is driven out of business
and finds itself utterly impotent to bid
against it's foreign competitor Not
only this. but also inadequate Is the
American merchant marine today that
in selecting auxiliary ships with which
to make our navy an instrument OF
offense or defense or indeed. in sending
1t around the world as a fleet, we have
to call on vessels sailing under for
eign flag to carry the coal and to supply
the other needs of such a journey.
Were we compelled to go into war to-
day, our merchant marine lacks alto
gether a sufficient tonnage of auxiliary
unarmed ships, absolutely necessary to
the operation Of the navy and were
war to come we should have to pur-
chase vessels from foreign countries
and this under the laws governing
For this reason it seems to me that
there is no subject to which congress
can better devote its attention In the
coming session than the passage of
bill which shall encourage our mer-
chant marine in such way as to es-
tablish American lines directly between ,
New York and other eastern ports and
South American ports, and between
our Pacific coast ports and the Orient
and the Philippines.
Profit on Foreign Mails.
1--WE earn a profit from our foreign !
mails from $4,000, 900 to IS. 900 a year.
The application of that amount would
be quite sufficient to put on salts |
factory basis two or three Oriental
lines and several lines from the east
to South America.
"Of course we are familiar with the |
argument that this would contribute to
private companies out of the treasury |
fund of the United States, but we are
thus contributing in various ways on
similar principles in effect, both by our
protective tariff law. by orr river and
harbor bills, and by our reclamation
service We are not putting money in
the pockets of ship owners, but we are
giving them money with which they
only with the merchant marine of the |
world.
From my observance I think the J
is ready to try such law and
~ WILKES IT'S 0ISCI On Tie IOT0ISHI
trade of the United States. If it is
experience will show how
he policy can be best expanded and en-
arged and the American flag be made
20 wave on the seas as it did before
,ur civil war. It is true that our for
eign trade is great and increasing and [
his without the merchants marine,
greatly enhances the opportunities for
trade for the merchants of
he country having such merchant
marine"