The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1910-03-19


shrunk from 24ssss4 tons 1851 to s4ooss tons in
1908. shrinkage 1556s2s of American foreign
shipping in AZ years
No American steamship line connects with South
America beyond Venezuela and Panama. Not a single
American steamship to Brazil. Argentina Chilli or
Peru.
The most convenient means Of travelling from any of
the great Atlantic ports of the United States to South
America is by way Of Europe. involving two voyages
the Atlantic That too is the most regular
sometimes the quickest route for mail between the
United States and South America-our greatest natural
market which defend from foreign spoaton accord
ing to the Monroe doctrine There Is absolutely no
American mail service south of the Caribbean sea.
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
$16659 voyage paid by the United States 1t could not
compete with German subsidies of $41,604 voyage.
French subsidies Of $47s14 Japanese subsidies
Of s21,917 and British subsidies of $23077
voyage.
In three years the number Of American steamships
regularly crossing the Pacific has shrunk from fifteen to
six.
Alas for our renown as a maritime nation and for
the distant countries Where is the American
merchant fleet that once mastered every seattle
cry and background of naval power
II is almost gone. No more American vessels are
being built the foreign trade and. ships out
and die few years under present conditions will
the American flag disappear from international COM
merce
Our hearts beat high when think of noble
array of battieships We cheer the mighty Utah Is
digging Of the Panama canal We are great nation
now We sit In the world council of the great powers.
We the protector of the American republics We
saved Chinese empire from destruction We brought
peace Japan and Russia Our foreign trade has
banded three and third billions Of dollars annually
But in 1925. IS years ago, 80 per cent. Of
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
per Of British foreign trade is carried in British
ships
We have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to
build a great navy. We have added empire to
national territory and hoised flag in the Philippines
Hawaii, Porto Rico and the Panama canal Yet
nneenhs of all foreign commerce is under foreign
nags and II is estimated that American shippers
5000 900 900 annually in freight rates
our rivals in American trade
Not American ship being built for that trade,
the remaining few rapidly wearing out and flag
being hauled down Of these.
But beyond the dwndlng Of the American ship build
ing trades: beyond the surrender Of 5000 100000 In
freight charges to foreign rivals; beyond
honest and wholesome pride In flag at sea; beyond
By cher nations-there are graver consequences
to the disappearance of the American ship from inter
national trade.
We send forth great to show both the civilized
and uncviized world the immensely Of armed
That feet is powerless without coal Yet all but 13
Of the coal keep our battleships alive
carried In foreign merchant ships
is matter Of record that the small army provided
by the United States for the last Intervention Cuba
taken thcre in foreign ships under foreign flags.
Even American material sent recently to the
philippines was carried In Japanese ships under the
Japanese flag; and that too while there was widespread
Newspaper talk of possible war between the United
States and Japan
II was washington who declared that ito an active
srtsrnal oonnerce the protection OF naval force 4