The San Francisco call., 1909-11-02
Secretary of National Merchant
Marine League Is Guest
at Banquet
Addresses Big Gathering OF
Prominent Men on Need
ed Legislation
Decline OF American. Shipping
and Requirement for Federal
Aid Is Discussed

INSPIRED and. encouraged: BY the
words OF. John A. Penton, .secre-
tary OF the National Merchant
Marine league. 15O. OF. the leading citi-
gems Of San francisco, al. a banquet at
She Fairmont hotel last night pledged
by their hearty. applause slscif sup
port 20 the cause of American ship
ping. Penton< was the last speaker
Of the evening, aud welding into 4
slnity. The addresses. that had preceded
and adding much of his owns he
called for the passage by the next
congress #of an ocean mail: act which
shall once again. restore the American
Sag on the seas.
Gathered about the banquet board
were. .nlen who for nearly half a cen-
gurv have held she Soreinos&. position
iu the ship building industry on the
Pacific coast. Captain Robert Dollar
was an attentive listener. George
Dickie 1old of the decline. of American
shipping. and Henry: T. Scott pleaded
sor the same protection for American
ships that IS afforded other industries
OF the country. =
At the close OF. Pentoa's address
Captain Hubbard proposed that San
Francisco merchant marine society be
formed. His motion was unanimously
carried The chair then appointed Cap
tain Hibbard W. s Webster. ". J.
Dutton, John S Rothchild and John z.
Fraser as a COMMITTEES TO form such a
plan. During the 10 minute interval
Of the committees retirement, George
knight delivered an eloquent address
on the subject Of the: American Aag.
The committee returned at its close
with the draft of a. constitutions and
the appointment Of these off5cers. who
were later made. permanent by a rising
vote: President. Frank 3. Anderson:
hrst vice president. R. 2. schwerius seco
ond vice president Captain 5ohn
Barneson: third vice president 6. C.
Moore: .secretarss c. L Henjon: execwe
tive eommfttees George 81 Oickies
James McNab. Fred G. Parker. Andrew
c-arrigan. r. " Yan sickiea. g. A. Nc
s5regor and James Reiph 9gs -.
Governor GiIIett Presides
Governor GfIIett presided. WITH aina
40 the speakers sable wers: Senator
George - Perkins Henry g Scott
John s. Pentou. d. Il. de Young John
p Irish. h. p Schwesin0 George Knight
Congressman e. IS, Hayes Colonel
George Pippy. George W p5ckie and
Harris We!nstock-
Penton. the guest oS .aonor. sat on
ehe. governors right. AS. secretary of
the National Merchant Marine league.
he is touring the United States. assist.
ing in the formation OF branch organ
izations sn every congressional district.
Such a branch organization has recent
ly taken its place. in the local field.
The banquet last night was given in
honor of Penton and for the added pnr-
pose Of launching the campaign in Cal
ifornia in favor of the ocean mail act.
The address of Pentor was delivered
in rapid fire style, the speaker shoot
ing out his words with an explosives
ness born of enthusiasm. AT times he
halted and blurted out. 81 feel so.
strongly on this question that when I
get wound up am apt. to say sonne-
thing 1 may afterward regret, so: If
] start TO run away with myself some
one please stop me-
There was no occasion to stop him,
however, as he drove home fact after
fact. diverging only to take. issue with
q letter written by senator Newlands
in which the Nevadan proposed that
instead of a subsidy the government
build the ships and. lease them to pri-
vate concerns to operate.
knowledge of Subject Shown
Penton seid in part:
There has been much talk here. as
10 the. ignorance of the general public
on the question Of American shipping
and its needs. That no doubt is true,
but there is certainly little of such
ignorance here tonight. Gentlemen, I.
have never listened to such enlight-
ened addresses. on*the subject prepared
on such short notice as / have heard
here this evening.
You here in San Francisco must
have a deep interest in this question
You have facing you the vast Pacific
with two great empires on the other
side. Australia is your neighbor and
the whole United States is behind you.
with all this, you are bound in time to
have a commerce second to none in the
whole world.
Il remember how impressed / was the
other day in Seattle when / listened to
one of the japanese commissioner now
visiting in this country. In an address
which I heard he said that afte: the
war with Russia the fnanciers. govern
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