The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1909-02-26
WANTS BETTER
MERCHANT MARINE
Senator Lands Makes Strong Appeal
For Better Trade Relations
With All Nations

Washington. Feb 2i strong plea
for better trade relations with Latin
American and for the building mp Of
merchant marine was made IN the
house OF representatives today by Mr.
Landis of Indiana lie declared that
ii would be seem that there would
have been a kinship in mutual hope
aud ambition which. he said, from the
very start would have ecmented soc.
al and business bonds with those
countries that would forever have for
stalled any or an European nations
from gaining a primacy Ia the com.
mercial affairs and general interests
of the people TO the south of the Tn
tied states But Il has not worked
ont in this way he said lie would
not say that it was the fault OF the
Latin-Amerioan countries On the
contrary. IL was a matter OF record
that on several occasions In years
long past the strongest of those ma
tiOns made overtares 20 the United
States, which ii accepted he said would
have worked wonders through the
years that followed But there seem.
ed 90 be an assumed ioftlness on our
part. he said. "A superlatiyeness that
chilled and drove away those who
should have been our most intimate
neighbors and our most confidential
friends, Blaine he said, saw the
mistake and took the first step to
4
Mckinley followed lin way but not
with any great enthusiasm But, he
said, il remains for President Roose-
welt and Secretary Root TO approach
and surround and invest and inspire
the situation so as to lift the Pan
American idea high up. SO high that
the whole world is today eagerly
watching whatever move we make to
regain lost ground and to effect an
entrance into territory which We have
not only neglected but toward which
we seem to have displayed a studied
Indifference.
Mr. Lands spoke OF the approaching
completion OF the Panama canal and
said that unless We wake up Il will
be proportionately detrimental 20 u.s.
The only hope of the United States
winning by the canal. he said rests
in our taking steps, immediate steps,
to share In the coming progress and
prosperity OF iatin.Amerieans to get
into that broad and inviting market
with energy and courage IN his
judgment the time had come for the
people OF the United States to make
a specially OF Latin-America, we
want To make up our minds to get
better acquainted he said "Thefe Is
every evidence that such determln-
alton on our part would be heartily
reclprocated by the people of these
republics" Those twenty republics
he declared, are now carrying on one.
third of the foreign trade Of the east
ern hemisphere The whole situation
he maintained. with reference 10
tatin-America had changed during the
past decade. be said. and that citi
zens OF the United states who do not
appreciate Il are deaf dumb and
blind
IN speaking of the inffequency with
which the American flag is seen on
the high seas, Mr. Lands declared
that it was due 70 prejudice alone that
subsidies had not been granted for
the building up Of Che merchant mar
Inc. The American flag be said to
day Is almost stranger 10 every ship
except the man-Of.war but he said
we are going to put it back on the
sea The manufacturers are going 10
help put II back on the sea The mer
chants are going to help rs put It
back OF the sea. t.e farmers. east
and west. north aud south, who have
been misled. and who have more at
stake than any other class OF our peo
pie. they will learn the facts, preiud
Zee Will be dethroued and they will
help us put the American flag back
upon the sea The plain truth was,
be said that the people Of the United
States had been SO busy with land
carrying among themselves that they
had given little uttention TO sea car.
rying between and among other ma.
tions
Mr. lands presented numerous sta
listics ON tue subject and said that
the American tonnage today was 200.
600 less than IL was a hundred years
ago "a respectable place 20 sleep.
he said good food aud government
aid are the three things absolutely
essential 20 put the American tiag On
the sea. and the sooner We recognize
it the sooner we win have the Amerl.
can dag on the sea