The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-04-01

i and offered as the solution OF the matter
q sudden death TO reciprocity and the
/ reincarnation of protection
| Mr.. Lethert opened the case of the AFR
native He said in part:
governmental subsidies for our mcr-
/ chant marine are means 10 an end.
/ that end is the rehabilitation Of our MARE
[ time commerce. II is a fact that to-day
( the merchant marine Of this country IS Il
/ disgraceful blot or our reputation for IN
1 dustry- We have gone steadily back in
I the last nifty years. until now we have
I only few battered hulks carrying the
/ flag of our commerce 1t IS a disgrace for
nation with as vast a coast line as
/ ours TO present 90 the world tie enact
ated shadow of a merchant marine that
/ is representing the United States now IN
I foreign ports.
Would Change Conditions.
1T is an absolute necessity that tails
condition be changed The lack Of
maritime commerce in keeping with tie
industrial progress Of the country has
wrought great evils. our merchants are
forced 20 use foreign vessels 20 carry
their goods, and 10 pay higher prices fer
their transportation I'm many cases other
countries send us no ships 20 an In
other cases they send us the discarded
wrecks that are no longer good enough
for them.
The coastuise trade or this country is
less Dy -l0,01 IONS n YEAR than IL was lci
+ years ago. Many Of the ports Of foreign
countries are never visited 10y an Ameri-
can ship that enters them regularly
This nation is Justly proud Of tire
voyage of the battie-ship fleet around the
world. Yet IN the midst or our pride we
must feel shame Tor thc fact that the
government had 90 Nsk the assistance Of
twenty-scvcn foreign transports 20 carry
coal ana supplies for the fleet. n a war
had come suddenly. that Immense con-
course OF war ships would have been like
a caravan On q desert without food or
water.
''The government therefore. should pay
subsidies TO the merchant marine TO en-
courage il. and enable IL 10 compete with
foreign countries and regain the maritime
prestig. United states
CO.. he low ebb OF the maritime
this covnuy Ar smith
for the negative. laid it az
Of the lack Of subsidy sys-
reciprocity.
ents picture &C former great
resent decay" ne said I'VE
with. But We cannot aEree
ledy ne proposes. which would
10 correct The evils. but sim
lth them over The subsidiz-
M ps Is contrary % the whole
spirit of tire nation, and is an insult 20
our reputation for aESresslveness and
industry Far from being a panacea. II
would be an unnecessary. uuwarraBted.
and mcalled tor impeachment I'm the way
OF che maritime progress the country
hopes TO make The legislative biundeF
written on every PAGE OF Cur maritime
history IS reciprocity.
Tn the carly days Of our SEA greatness
the policy Cf tho government was strongly
protective. It was England whose VII
cious attacks and malicious discrimiul-
tons have been directed al this country
ever since tho period before the war Of
1872, who betrayed our legislature into
adopting the So-caled reciprocity. Now
England carries so per cent OF Americas
commerce. and only per cent IS left TO
be carried in American ships
Campaign Is Urged.
The remedy advocated log Mr Smith
was an aggressive campaign against for
eign discrimination and sharp competi-
ton with foreign trusts
Mr. Gwinn, the second speaker for the
affirmative. emphasized the idea OF OK
pediency. Let us put aside Dr.. said.
"the question of the spirit of subsidies.
The fact remains thar our sea commerce
has disappeared. end that a remedy must
be applied, powerful enough % defeat the
causes contributing to the slump.
The most. logical remedy is 60 make
the merchant marine profitable. We must
meet conditions as We md them and not
as we wish 10 have them. Practically
every foreign nation Eas chosen sub
sides as its weapon in maritime warfare
What the system has done for them it
would do for us
AR Gwinn referred to tie maritime
policies of Germany. japan. France. Bel
GUM, Norway, and Sweden. an Of which
countries. nc said. had adopted the sub
sidy system
Mr. OMAR closed the direct argument
for the negative. lie caustically fayed
the affirmative for assOoiatinc with sub
sidies al all
The proposition seems 20 be- ne said.
ITO combine all the causes OF our mari
time decay. add 70 that reasonable
profit. and then absolutely give our ship
pers enough 90 induce them 10 engage
in q losing business. That method would
give rise 10 the worst lobby in Washing
ton the country has ever known. IL
would breed corruption in the halls OF
Congress and bring disgrace and dis
content upon the people.
THE thing 20 do Is 10 remove as many
Of the causes as we can: not at once. but
by a gradual process that will not dis
turb commercial conditions Let as re-
vive the practice Of protection that made
as great on the seas In the old DAYS. Let
us impose a tonnage tax. or dscriminat-
ing tariff. on all goods coming into this
country In foreign bottoms. Let the Fu-
ropean countries retaliate II they viii.
They would retaliate equally strongly
under the subsidy plan.
Remedy IL Proposed.
These remedies win so alleviate con-
ditions that the other features. which
cannot be changed at once, win not avail
against the forward leaps OF our en-
cOuraged foreign commerce..
The<~Gecision Of the judges was an
nounced by Mr. Ralph In intervals he
tween the arguments. selections were
played by portion Of the college or
chestra.
The reception committee consisted Of
W. Griffin Mudd, chairman; Gerald N.
Cohen. August r. Miuott. Daniel Z
Casey. John J. Cowhlg, William Crane.
Martin G. Cornell. Donald B. Creecv.
James J. 0Leary. Arthur Schellinger.
Joseph Addison, s. Edward Beach. Fred
p Rondeau, Andrew J. Higgins Jessie
James Louis a. MCGOWAN. Charles Z.
Ruffner. James Splice. Hugh ". Barr.
and Elmer e. Wood.