The Elbert County tribune., 1910-03-11

shrunk from 2.496Ss4 in 1861 to s4O06s in
1905 shrinkage of 1.556.s26 of American foreign
shipping in 43 years.
No American steamship line connects us with South
America. beyond Venezuela and Panama. Not single
American steamship to Brazil Argentina. Chill
Peru.
The most convenient travelling from any of
the great Atlantic ports of the United
America is by way of Europe, involving voyages
across the Atlantic That is the regular
and sometimes the quickest route for between
United States America-our greatest natural
market which defend from foreign spoliaton accord
ing to the Monroe doctrine. There is absolutely no
American mail service south of the Caribbean sea
Two years the Oceanic Steamship Company of San
Francisco withdrew its carrying American
mails to Australasia Even with mail subsidy of
$16659 voyage paid by the United could not
compete with German subsidies SAL 6O4 a voyage
French subsidies of s47s14 voyage Japanese subsidies
of s2l917 voyage and British subsidies s23.O77
voyage.
In three years the American steamships
regularly crossing the Pacific has shrunk
Alas for maritime nation and for
the past prestige of our flag in the
the most distant countres Where is the American
merchant feet that mastered every nurs.
cry and background of naval power.
1t is almost gone. No more American vessels
being built for the foreign and ships wear out
and die. few years under conditions will see
the American flag disappear from international COM
Our hearts high we think of our noble
array OF batteshps We cheer as the mighty Utah is
launched We watch with growing thrill pride
digging of the Panama canal. are a great nation
We sit in the world council of the powers
saved the Chinese empire from destruction brought
peace to Japan and Russia foreign trade has ex
panded to three and third billions dollars annually
But in 1925, 80 years 80 cent of
with other countries carried by American
ships, and to-day only 10 of imports
exports Is borne under the American flag.
63 cent of British foreign British
ships.
We spent hundreds of millions of dollars to
build great navy. We have added an empire to our
national territory and hoisted flag Philippines
Hawaii, Porto Rico and the Panama zone Yet
nine-tenths of all foreign foreign
flags and it is estimated that American shippers pay
100000 900 annually in freight
rivals in American trade
Not American ship being built for that trade,
the remaining few rapidly wearing our dag
being hauled down of these.
But beyond the dwindling of the American ship
ing trades beyond the surrender of s20O,OOO.OO0
freight charges to foreign rivals; beyond even an
honest and wholesome pride in flag
mortifying lack Of mail service possessed
by other nations-there graver consequences
disappearance of the American ship inter
national trade
We send forth great fleet show both the civilized
uncivized world the immensity OF power
of the coal keep battleshps is
carried in foreign merchant ships
1t is matter of record that the small army provided
by the United States for the last Intervention
taken there in foreign ships. under foreign
Even American material recently the
Philippines carried in Japanese ships under the
Japanese flag; and that while there widespread
newspaper talk Of possible between the United
States and Japan.
1t Washington who declared that ito an active
external cammercs the protection OF naval force Is