New-York tribune., 1910-03-23

liners, though the American government -
sZl1Oo 20 the steamers Of the Briflsb vk.
Star Line. sl6S.O0o 70 the North German Ik,..
$4,000 70 the British Cunard Line. sgfso =
the Hamburg American Line and sGOO0 a. AZ
fTench company The United states glya. =
preference TO American ships and paws r..
more than foreign ships FOR mail service p-,
Il does not boycott foreign ships when ,h~, -
fast and suitable. In this respect the TIo,,a.
States follows a policy Of genuine reciprocity !.
which Great Britain does not reclpr0cate WIN.
the British government follows a policy non =
free trade, but % prOteetionism gone mad.
Many British Steamships Now Subsidized
The British government since 1910 bs.
pended between $250O00OOO and sa00oooS....
In steamship subsidies. These subsidie.
now paid 20 about thirty lines OF steama.-
Colonial governments contribute largely or -,
own account % the extension OF British -.
ship services. Tn many eases the British -
ernment has been able % reduce the pos,al -
sides TO certain lines when thew have h.o-
thoroughly established. Take. for inssaDcs -
case OF the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. -
running 20 The West Indies and the eau, ''' o~1es
OF South America. This line was orlgiuau,. y
tablished IN 1871 By the payment OF !. ru,s.,s.
OF Sls2OooO a year. increased soon af,e- =
s1,35o.Ooo year because the eompanv -
fallen into difficulties through the loss bv r,s~'
OF seven or eight ships in quick succession. "a,
Increase Of subsidy was also In eonsideration -
an extension OF the service TO Brazil ana a.
gentina- The subsidy remained at 81 350oro
Tor many years. but when the company becama
thoroughly established, and especially vbs,
American competition was killed or the a,s-
81 xf.<
tracts 20 between 100000 and S5OOO0O =,
other cases. though subsidies to various Hnss
have remained the same. the British gOvernme,.
has succeeded in getting larger returns an ~.
money In the way OF increased frequencv 40
saiIings. higher speed or larger steamships n,o,.
valuable for naval reserve purposes. In ve-,
few cases has a British subsidy failed 70 estaS
lish the steamship line on which II was be-
slowed.
Recent conspicuous cases Of British subsidies
are the line from Vancouver, b. c., 70 Japan
and China. which Hon. William c. Whitney De.
scribed in one Of his annual reports as secretasy
Of the Navy as "a notable Illustration OF ths
generosity and courage with which England
pushes her shipping interests" This British
line across the North Pacific receives $2g10g0
a year from Great Britain and Canada-chisav
from Great Britain-fOr three 16-knOt steamers
Of rather small size. Another recent British
subsidy is 100000 a year. given in 1900 10 the
Elder-Dempster Company. 70 create a line Of
four 14-knOt steamers from Jamaica 70 Great
Britain. in competition with line Of four l5-
knot American steamers between Jamaica and
the United States. receiving a subsidy Of Sl20-
600 year under the ocean mail law Of 1S91.
The British steamers received 81 50 a mile as
against a maximum American rate OF 81 10
Most conspicuous Of all. OF course. IN recent
British subsidy practice is the new co7traet
with the CUnard company. by which the British
government loaned from the public treasury to
the sum Of S13O00.O00 at the low interest Of y,
per cent. the government at the same time en-
gaging to pay for these two ships and two ex-
isting steamers a subsidy OF S1.1OOO0O a year
for twenty years-a subsidy sufficient % repay
the loan and interest
II is often asserted BY free traders in this
country that only 2 per cent OF az most only )
per cent Of British steamships are subsidized
This statement is not true. Captain William
states on page go Of his american Marine
that the tonnage OF British steamers earning
subsidy or subventiOn in 1902 was 1876 per
cent OF the total OF British steam tonnage. and
that the tonnage Of the companies receiving
such support was 17S2 per cent Of the total
British steam tonnage
But this is. after all, minor consideration.
The really vital fact is that Great Britain Tor
some years after 1910. in the very beginning Of
-. Nr~fT