The San Francisco call., 1910-11-19
MERCHANT MARINE
NEEDED BY nation
Resolutions Adopted by Pacific
Coast Congress Urge Res
tOratiOn of Flag on Seas

The first Pacific coast congress COM
pleted its sessions yesterday afternoon
after going on record emphatically for
the upbuilding of an American mer-
chant marine. for better coast defenses
and expressing its hearty Endorsement
of the San Francisco and San Diego
eXpositions. Portland was chosen as
the next place of meeting and the
date set for the second Tuesday in
July.
The deliberations. proceeding with the
greatest of peace throughout the day,
assumed a more spectacular aspect in
midafternoon when Congressman Ju-
lius Kahn and Senator Newlands of
Nevada plunged into debate of the
ship subsidy. Newlands had introduced
a resolution calling for the construc-
tion of an auxiliary navy. Kahn
jumped TO his feet and declared his
Willingness to vote for the measure
in congress. but asked Newlands if he
honestly believed" his democratic col
leagues would support the measure.
The senator from Nevada replied that
he generally honestly believed" what
ever he said. but that he could pledge
only himself and not his colleagues in
advocacy of the proposal
POLITICAL DEBATE AVOIDED
The committee on resolutions reported
Newlands' proposition as "inexpedient'
and the congress ratified the report.
The committee had taken the action
to avoid what threatened to become a
political debate The resolution which
inspired the ofatory follows:
Resolved, that we favor the con-
struction of an auxiliary navy,
composed of transports, colliers,
scouts. dispatch boats. etc, to sup
port the fighting ships in case of
war; such ships to be used in time
of peace as training ships for our
naval reserves and also for COM
mercial purposes in opening up new
routes of trade by lease to ship
ping companies.
Senator Newlands estimated that 20
ships should be constructed at a cost
of approximately $1.000,000 each.
The morning session was devoted
largely to the adoption Of a constitu
ton. 1t provides for three classes of
members-honorary. consisting Of
congressman. senator's. governors and
lieutenant governors of the interested
states; corporate members. consisting
of commercial bodies on the Pacific
coast. and individual members.
The resolutions adopted cover a wide
range They included merchant ma
rine,. canal tolls, coast defense. high
ways, breakwaters and expositions.
FOR COAST DEFENsEs
The declaration for coast defense
was contained i'm the following:
Resolved, that we respectfully
urge the congress of the United
States TO take immediate steps to
provide naval bases, properly
equipped for. the use and MAIN
tenance of a battleship feet on the
And we further respectfully urge
that the regular. army of the
United States he increased by at
least IS regiments of infantry with
proportionate Increases in field
artillery and cavalry. to the end
protected from land attack and
fhe Pacific coast be thus given a
sure guarantee against possible in
Vasion
EXPOSITION INDORSED
The Endorsement of the Panama
Pacific exposition was the most COM
plete given the city in the whole
campaign for the big fair The reso-
lutions read:
Whereas, the Panama canal, now
in process of construction, will
have opened to commerce in the
year 1915. uniting the waters of
the Pacific and Atlantic oceans;
and
Whereas, there is a unanimous
sentiment that the completion of
this gigantic work should be cele-
brated in a manner betting the
greatest engineering achievement
of man; and
Whereas, this mighty work was
undertaken by our nation pri-
marily to bring its Atlantic and
Pacific seaboards into close COM
munication also that America
might be in a position to compete
with all nations for the vast COM
merce of the Pacific ocean, on the
shores of which dwell more than
half the human race; and
Whereas. the trade of these peo-
+ pies can best be developed through
our population on our western
shore line, which is in proximity,
and bound to them by the tie of
common ocean: and
Whereas, the navy, which must
insure American dignity and power
on the Pacific ocean, must have
its base on Pacific seaports; and
Whereas, it is logical and fitting
that an International celebration
for the purpose of commemorating
the union OF two great oceans
should be held on one of them; and
Whereas, San Francisco Is the
only seaport city seeking to hold
this celebrations; and
Whereas, that city has the fol-
lowing facts in her favor
Her citizens have subscribed for
exposition purposes, $7,500,000;