New-York tribune., 1909-01-27
LETTERS TOTHE EDITOR
PLEA FOR OUR SHIPS.
Merchant Marine League Wants
House to Pass ProtectiTe Measure.

/ To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: We want TO present fer your consideration
what think is outrage
/ This country is spending millions OF American
dollars in digging canal at Panama which VIII De-
In times of peace at all events, under the present
conditions. solely for the benefit Of the merchant
marine of our German British, Norwegian French
and Japanese friends, and cannot be considered In
any way money well spent for the benefit OF Amer
! ican commerce, American business interests or tne
American flag for the reason that We nave prac-
! ticalIy no American ships, and the American nag
does not wave frora the masthead Of anything III
j the way of an American merchant marine
On the sthmus there arc only American ehgl-
neers. foremen skilled mechanics These are
employed exclusively. though at higher wages thah
those for which foreigners could be procured
/ The dredges. engines boilers, locomotives, rails
tools, equipment ard supplies of every character
purchased in this country, although the cost Is
usually more than that at which these things
could be purchased in Europe. Practically every
thing is being purchased under the Joint resolution
of June 25 1906. which provides that the purchase
I OF such things shall be restricted TO articles OF
domestic production and manufacture from the
lowest possible bidder unless the President shall IN
any deem the bids tenders therefor to be
extortionate unreasonable. thus carrying out
the policy of protection to American labor anu
American enterprise, which is probably the only
right in view CT the fact that American money
is paying the freight" Everything that has been
undertaken and everything that has been done
down there. with significant exception. is thor
oughly American in every way, and that exception
is that all the goods being transported In for
eign vessels unde- foreign flags by foreign sea-
men, and the profit therefrom all goes to foreign
shipping corporations
AS a result OF this in the harbor of Colon and IN
adjacent waters no ship will be found flying the
flag of the United States unless one of the four
vessels of the government transport service or d
! warship should happen to be there
/ The 100000 100000 of coal now being used
annually on the fsthmus, the lumber, the ma
! nd of all deSCriDf{Ons not con-
( veyed by the Few steamers of the government line
are being carried entirely by foreigners
! II American manufacturer asks $4,000 or
100000 for given piece Of machinery. and 1t can
! be purchased in Europe for $4,000 or $4,000 less
the American is given the contract But TIA for
eign ship bids N000 for carrying that machinery
from New YORK any other American port 10
the canal, and an American ship bids S,OO or
$500 for carrying It. account of the higher
wage scale In this country. the foreigner gets the
business every time. That Is t9 say, protection
rules transaction and free trade the ether with
/ the result that the construction Of the Panama
Canal, instead Of serving American maritime IN
terests is actually killing off and destroying Wha1
little is left of our American merchant marine IN
these waters; for In addition to the reasons al
ready given these foreign ships. having outward
cargoes Colon guaranteed, are thereby enaOed
to take return cargoes from West Indies ports
away from such American vessels as might al
ready have had that trade.
We wish to ask if. in your Judgment, this Is a
square deal? Is it Just that American laws snouid
protect American labor and industries on land
and deny protection American interests on The
high seas? II American manufacturers, mechaII-
les farmers miners. IumbermeH etc. are entitled
to preference from their government IN this great
national work Of building the isthmian canal why
are not American ship owners. sailors and snip
! builders also given some measure OF support, in
stesd Of the building OF the canal with American
money being used weapon. as already stated
to ruin what little we have left Of the American
I merchant marine?
II is true that the Committee Interstate and
Foreign Commerce has reported favorahly to the
House Of Representatives resolution, which passed
without any division whatever in the Senate Apply
ing to the transportation of materials ana equip
rent for the Panama Canal exactly the same pfin-
| cipe of protection preference which regulates
| the purchase of materials and equipment
As & measure OF simple Justice. we ask the in1u-
ence Of your publication In an effort TO nave tha'
bill pass the House
| II Is asserted by European steamship companies
and their agents who have influential representa-
tves and attorneys Washington lobbying, against
the passage of this resolution that its adoption
would at least double the cost Of transporting ma
| terfas and euuipn, the Canal Zone 1t is not
only possible, but be true. that American shps
| would in the beginning at least have to charge
little more for the reason that American ma
cbinerv and other articles cost more; but II Is also
Doubtless true that if the Congress were TO adopt
this resolution there would quickly be such conpe-
titiOn for the business among American shipping
rorrDaniAS backed Dy American III
senutv that before very long vessels protected oy
H. Stars and Stripes would be upon every ocean,
because OF their modern methods Of doing tnis
work at less than that at which Foreign ooals
have ever attempted to do it.
/ There is other place on earth where freight Is
carried as cheaply it is by the steamships or the
Great Lakes as a result Of the installation OF uhe
methods referred to; and what is true upon fresh
water can be quickly made true upon salt water
Nav we not depend upon you say few lines
! IN favor of this measure IT, upon examination, you
find the foregoing facts to be true?
! JOHN i. PENTON.
Secretary of the Merchant Marine League OF the
. United States.
Cleveland, Jan .. 1909.
/ 1.-THE Tribune is heartily in favor of measure
of protection for the American mercantile marine
! comnarable with that which is afforded to other
Industries 1t recalls however. that a few years
ago an effort was made by various protected in
dustries TO secure a monopoly of the Canal Zone
s,1nnIv trade in order raise prices to extor-
tionate degree: and against That abuse Of the
protective principle we vigorously and. we think.
effectively protested 1t would be only simple
Z ius,ice to the American mercantile marine to
extend the Joint resolution of June 25. 1906, to
which our correspondent refers, so as to give to
/ American ships the preference in the carrying
trade TO Colon subject to the same proviso, that
/ their charges shall not be extortionate or unrea-
sonable.-Ed-1
| EXPLAINS SERMON ON CLAlRVoYANCE.