The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-10-14

feated by small and decreasing margins
In two recent Congresses, and other bills
carrying out the same purpose have been
introduced in the present Senate and
House for consideration next December.
Who are the opponents, who stand ir
the way of these measures to restore
our prestige on the ocean? Mr.. Marvin
says: 1t is the Solid South, aided by a
portion of the Middle West that is direct
ly responsible for the failure of the
American government to take some ster
to include the merchant marine within
the fortunate circle of protected indus.
tries. New England, New York, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, the nearer Yves.
tern States, and the Pacific Coast, have
voted with increasing emphasis in recent
years for subsidy to American ocean
ships; but these great industrial COM
munities, with their aroused ambition for
a broader trade, and their pride in the
new American navy, have until now been
overborne by the combined opposition in
the National House of nearly all of the
Southern Democrats and a faction of
Middle Western Republicans. There
you have it. But there is one ray of
hope. Mr.. Marvin finds that this oppo-
sition ''has significantly become weaker
year by year," and on the latest test
votes, Minnesota, Indiana and Kansas
showed a surprising gain of strength for
the merchant marine. This result is
largely due to the propaganda of the
Merchant Marine League of the United
States, which has its headquarters in
Cleveland, Ohio, and which is carrying on
patient, systematic campaign in the
press and on the platform. 1t is COM
batted in most of the Western States
by the resident agents of the European
steamship combinations, which now derive
an income of about 5000, 900, 900 a year
from their control of our ocean carrying.
These foreign steamship interests also
maintain a formidable lobby in Washing
Having thus told how the American
merchant marine was built up, by whom
it was destroyed, and who stand today in
the way of its revival, something should
be said as to the "free ship" policy
that is, the purchase of American ships in
British yards which many have persist
antly advocated as the only panacea that
can revive our shipping interest. The
fallacy of this argument is convincingly
shown by Mr.. Marvin. Briefly stated, all
the foreign nations with important ship
ping interests have tried and abandoned
the free ship policy and then built up
their merchant marine by subsidies. A
few years ago a group of Boston mer-
chants built two large and three smaller
American steel steamships especially de-
signed for the carrying of heavy cargoes-
the two larger ships carried passengers
besides-and placed them on the route
from Puget Sound across the Pacific to
Japan, China and the Philippines. The
line developed an important export trade
from our Northwest to the Orient, and
did this without national aid, receiving
from our government only ten or twelve
thousand dollars year for carrying the
United States mails. This American
line had as competitors British line of
three steamers out Of Canadian port,
receiving a subsidy of $500, 600 a year
and japanese line of three or four
steamers receiving subsidy of $3.50, 600.
After three or four years Of this hope
less competition the Boston men were
compelled to abandon the service and
pocket a heavy loss. Had they bought
their ships in England they would have
cost somewhat less money - perhaps
twenty-five to thirty five per cent. less
simply because English mechanics will
work for one-half the wages Of Ameri-
cans. "But would that have equalized
conditions and enabled the British-built
American ships, earning practically no
subsidy, to compete with British ships
subsidized for 100000 a year, or Jap
anese ships subsidized for $3.50, 900?
These Oceanic steamers were among
our few naval-reserve ships; and, as
naval auxiliaries under our law, were
manned by American seamen at $40 a
month, while the European and japanese
ships in the Australian trade were man.
ned chiefly by Asiatics at 49,"
Germany tried the free ship" expedi-
emit, having no shipysrds in which either
merchant craft or men-of-war of large
size could be constructed, and the expert
ment proved complete and acknowled-
ged failure. Then State aid was given,
through mail subsidies, preferential rail-
road rates and other forms of imperial
encouragement. The subsidies to the
mail lines were given on the express
condition that the ships receiving them
should be built in German shipyards, by
German workmen, as far as possible of