Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-12-29
M The Halls of Congress
BY TAV.
Special Washington Correspondence


 the millionaire shipowners who will profit, chief ly, from the passage of ship subsidy legislation. Aware that public sentiment is hostile to the bill that the party in power will attempt to pass within the next few months, the subsidy grab bers have decided to make their fight center on an appeal to the patriotism of the American people.
 If we were to have war with Japan, we would be at the mercy of the enemy as we would have no ships to transport coal ; is the cry that is now going up from the tainted press bureaus maintained in various parts of the country by the tinancers who have their eyes upon the pub lie treasury.
 This plea merely befogs the issue for readers not we'll versed on the subject, because it tends to create the impression that legislators who op pose ship subsidy are against the rebuilding of the American merchant marine. As a matter of fact, the men who are opposing the principle of a subsidy-opposing the payment of millions of dollars annually from the public treasury to| private ship owners-are more anxious to put American shipping on its feet than the friends of the subsidy. Only they would do it by permit ting the American registry to foreign built ships, method which does not provide for the opening of the "pork barrel, and is generally
 
 the insurgent republicans eXcepted.)
 Both friends and opponents of ship subsidies deplore the fact that our merchant marine has dwindled away. The decline has accompanied the advance of high tariffs, largely In 1859, 669 per cent of all foreign commerce of the United States was carried in American vessels. In 1865 this was reduced to 275 per cent; in 1901, to 10.3 per cent, and at the present time less than s per cent of the goods exported from this country are carried in ships sailing under the American flag.
 When our fleet of battleships made it's cruise around the world recently, the navy department was compelled to charter foreign steamers to act as tenders to carry the coal, the food, the clothing and the ammunition. If we were to have war with Japan, China Turkey or any distant power, our fleet would have to depend upon foreign bottoms for coal The laws of neutrality would humliate us as sea power.
 The subsidsts would solve the problem by giving about $5,000,000 annually-the proceeds of the foreign mail department of the postof- 6ce-for the establishment of regular mail line to the east coast of South America, to Australia, to China and the Philippines.
 Two ships would be required on each line sub sidized, which would mean an addition of six ships to our merchant marine in the event of three lines being established, and eight ships should four lines be established. The estimated $5,000,000 is considered only sufficient as a starter" It is conceded that later on larger sum will be necessary. Ship subsidy is like tar if in the respect that it is ever growing and ex tending new branches.
 The opponents of the above plan contend that it has been tried over and over again without success, and that while subsidies might make few unproftabe lines profitable at public eX- pense, that is not the true function of govern ment, and at best would be but a temporary sup port
 How would the opponents of ship subsidies go about it to restore the American flag on the seas2' is asked. The Kustermann bill offers one way. This measure permits American regis try to foreign built ships intended for the for eign trade, providing they are owned and of fcered by Americans, or by corporations in which Americans hold not less than 60 per cent of the stock.
 England leads in shipping because she can buy her ships, her supplies and her labor in the cheapest market" say the opponents of sub sidy. Americans must be allowed to do the same. If ship costs $800,000 here and only $5O0,000 abroad, we must buy abroad That is a sound business principle.'
 The plea that the American shipbuding in dustry would suffer by allowing registry of ships in the foreign trade and built or purchased in foreign countries is not justified, because there are no foreign going vessels now built in American shipyards. The result of the law for bidding American registry to foreign-builtI ShipS iS that Americans who hayn Yuroha cad