The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-01-21
10 Rehabilitate
Our Merchant Marine

Our Merchant Marine
Congressman Humphreys revised
bill for the rehabilitation OF our mer-
chant marine, endorsed by President
Taft and the Merchant Marine League.
OF Cleveland, has been introduced in
Congress.
1.-THE bill contains three distinct
propOt itions. First: To increase the
mail pay to American ships on routes
to South America, China. Japan. the
Philippines. and Australasia to 81 q
mile outward voyage, where the voyage
is 4. 600 miles or more.
Second: TO increase the tonnage
taxes on the trans oceanic trade.
"Third: Free ships; that is. to ad
nit foreign built ships to American
registry for the foreign trade.
Representative Humphreys speech
in introducing the bill is striking
appeal to the patriotism and business
sense of the American people. He
said. in part:
"Foreign ships are carrying 95
per cent of our commerce. They are
receiving 5000. 600. QUO year from
the American people for this service.
For these foreign ships very largely
we maintain our light houses and
other aids to navigation. For them
We improve our rivers and harbors at
an expense of $50. 100000 year.
We pay German ships subsidy for
the mails more than ~ times
as much as they pay us in tonnage
taxes. We pay Japan subsidy for
the mails four times as great
as the amount of tonnage taxes their
vessels pay US. Why should not these
foreign vessels receiving SO many IA
vors help bear the burdens? 1T
eff the American people knew the
facts, there would be no opposition to
this legislation. This year our foreign
commerce will be the largest ever
done by any nation in the history of
the world. 1t will be $4,000, 600,
600. and mere. FOREIGN ships will
carry 50 per eent % this trade ana re-
ceive for doing it over $500, 600, 600.
The construction and the operation of
these foreign ships will take from the
Am erican laborer more than 81. 00O.-
900 in wages each day for work that
rightly belongs to him. Today our
citizens, our products and our mails.
in order to reach South America. must
twice cross the Atlantic ocean in
foreign ship. They must all 60 by
way of Europe. The freight rate
from this country is the highest in
the world. The American merchant
pays twice as much freight for the
same service as does his European
com petitor. On both oceans. foreign
shipping combines have been formed
and are preying on our commerce.
On the Atlantic within the last three
Y ears these combines have raised
freight rates between here and Eu-
rope more than 80 per cent. There
has been much greater increase at
tines between here and South Amer
ica. On the Pacific at one time these
cont bines raised freight rates more
than 500 per cent. \
+" When the Panama canal is COM
pleted, it Will be used almost entire
ly by foreign ships. We get the
glory and foreign ships the COM
merce. 4 4
81 have frequently said, and | now
saw. that do expect war with japan.
japan has 26O vessels fit to carry
troops. The United States has per-
haps 10. Japan could carry 2O0,
600 soldiers at one time. The Unit
ed States not more than 10, 600. ia
nan has more than half million
trained sailors. The United States
has less than l. 900 to furnish crews
for naval vessels. japan has built
so vessels suitable for transports: the
limited States not one. Japan could
put 100, ooo men in Hawaii, 2oo. 600
in the Philippines, in less than thirty
DAYS. The United States could not
place so. 900 men in the Philippines
in tte next two years. even in time
of peace, if We we're compelled to en-
ploy American ships. as would be the
case in time of war. Japan couio
reach the Pacific coast of this country
at least two months quicker than our
battleship fleet could get from the
Atlantic to the Pacific. even II our
feet were folly supported with the
best colliers and auxiliaries.
Gas it is today. our feet could
not be considered at all in a contest
with Japan. The American citizen Is