River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-03-10

shrunk from 2496894 tons in 1851 to 94OO6S tons in
1908 shrinkage of 556826 tons of American foreign
shipping in 43 years.
No American steamship line connects with South
America, beyond Venezuela and Panama. Not single
American steamship goes to Brazil, Argentina, Chill or
Peru.
The convenient means of travelling from any of
the great Atlantic ports South
America is by way of Europe involving two voyages
the Atlantic That too is the most regular
and sometimes the quickest route for mail between the
United States and South America-our greatest natural
market which defend from foreign spoation
ing to the Monroe doctrine There is absolutely
American mail service south of the Caribbean
Two years ago the Oceanic Steamship Company of San
Francisco withdrew its steamers carrying the American
mails to Australasia. Even with the mail subsidy of
$16G59 voyage paid by the United States it could not
compete with German subsidies of $41604 voyage,
French subsidies of $4784 voyage Japanese subsidies
OF $21917 a voyage and British subsidies of $23077
voyage
three years the number of American steamships
regularly crossing the Pacific fifteen to
Alas for renown as a maritime nation and for
the past prestige of flag in the of
the most distant countries Where is
merchant fleet that mastered every seattle
cry and background of naval power
1t is almost gone. No more American vessels
being built for the foreign trade and ships out
and die few under present conditions will
the American flag disappear from International
Our hearts beat high when we think of our noble
of battleshps. We cheer the mighty Utah is
launched. We watch with growing thrill of pride the
We sit in the world council of the great
We the protector of the American republics. We
saved the Chinese empire from destruction brought
peace to Japan and Russia. Our foreign trade has
banded to three and third billions of dollars annually
But in 1926 IS years ago. go per cent. of
merce with other countries carried by American
ships, and to-day only 10 per cent of imports and
exports is borne under the American flag More than
So per cent of British foreign trade is carried in British
ships.
We have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to
build great navy We have added empire to
national territory and hoisted flag in the Philippines
Hawaii, Porto Rico and the Panama canal Yet
flags and it is estimated that American shippers pay
$20000000 annually in freight rates and fares
rivals in American trade.
Not a American ship being built for that trade,
the remaining few rapidly wearing out and flag
being hauled down on some Of these
But beyond the dwndng of the American ship build
ing trades beyond the surrender of 200,000,000 in
freight charges foreign rivals; beyond even
honest and wholesome pride in flag at beyond
the notifying lack of mail service
by other nations-theTe graver consequences
to disappearance of the American ship from
national trade.
We send forth great to show both civilized
uncvilzed world the immensely of armed
That fleet is powerless without all per
of the coal sent to keep battleships alive is
carried in foreign merchant ships
1t is a matter of record that the small army provided
by the United States for the last intervention in Cuba
taken there in foreign ships under foreign flags.
Even American material sent recently to the
Philippines was carried in Japanese ships under
Japanese flag and that too, while there widespread
newspaper talk of possible war between the United
States and Japan.
1t was Washington who declared that ito active,
external the protection Of naval force is