New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-04
AMERICAN SHIPPING
Mr.. Ross's Enthusiasm-ReViya'
CT Ocean Commerce.
London, Aug. ~.


lean talk Mr.. p. II. w Ross IL now in
London. proclaiming the revival OF the
American commercial marine as the
greatest work Of the Yankee nation IN
the early future; and while he needs 70
lower the stirrups and 10 readjust the
bride he rides his hobby well An
Enylishman by birth. he lived among
Americans in Hawaii for seven years,
and finally settled down as q natural
lied citizen I'm Western Washington,
where he became "A banker and inter-
ested himself in various industrial enter
prises. Prolonged courses OF phAosophi-
cal reading and foreign travel in Europe
and in the Far East have had broaden
Ing effect on his mind, and he Is now
eager 10 devote the residue OK hls life TO
the national cause Of maritime COM
merce To this end he has written
book entitled The Western Gate
which Messrs. Dodd. Mead q co. are
about to publish. and he Is hoping that
national organization can be formed
for interesting the American people IN
!
He is a business man with talent for
popular controversy, like the author ~
The Great Illusion" and he may suc-
coed where doctrinares have failed. IN
inducing Americans 10 put on the'r
shoes"
When Mr.. Ross in the secluded shade
OF Il London club garden mounts MS
hobby and chirruDs 20 his listeners u
I follow him over the Western pralries
he starts off with the deduction that the
temporary decadence Of American ship
ping is a perfectly natural stage IN the
/ evolution Of people which has been Ill
verified from maritime occupations ny
Continental duties and interests They
have not wanted ships, and so they 10
not have them. When they find OUT
that they really need them In order n
complete their work as one ~ the great
! powers Of civilization they VIII get them.
The national organization which he has
in mind is one for putting into the MAN
body of the American people the desire
10 have ships. He explains national M
difference 10 the decline of the merchant
marine by the homely smile ~ the tur-
KEYS unwillingness to swim In duck
pond. and reinforces his conclusion from
ethnology by discriminating between the
land loving Broad Skulls, who nave h.led
Asia and the European continent. and
tho sea loving Long Skulls. who have
gone ont from the Mediterranean the
British islands and the Baltic to OK
plore and develop new lands. America
| North and South. was settled By me
Long Skulls. with their maritime IN
etiucts. and in the course Of the nine
teenth century came the Continental de-
volorment. which converted their de-
scendants into Broad Skulls. Having
lost sight OF the sea for busy decades
Americans have found it again on the
Pacific coast and with it the duty 81
bullding up a great commerce with the
Orient.
MIR. Ross's conclusions cannot be cues
toned when he is describing these
changes from littoral To continental CIV
uization and the disappearance ct the
Tag from the seas as the natural effect
of acquired tendencies. augmented by
immigration from Broad Skull Europe
II is not until he gives his hobby run
rein and starts off for - swift canter
over the maritime district of western
| Washington that tho high stirrups
cramp him. This district, bounded by
British Columbia. the CASCADE Noun
tains the Columbia and tho Pacific he
describes as the future home OF re-
| vived American commerce. and he draws
an analogy between IT and the BRITISH
Islands. When he has explained thst
Western Washington and England are
in the same latitude, with the warm
Japan current performing the same
function as the Gulf Stream and temper
ing the climate. he compares tho areas OF
tho two sections. and forecasts the mar
thine future Of a now centre of COM
merce and civilization which VIII rival
London in order TO hasten the progress
of this Western outpost on the fiank OF
populous continent Mr.. Ross proposes
the conversion OF Western Washington
e L
lronmasters can employ wide range o.
activities and where an enormous COM
merce can be established with China ana
Japan One can imagine that hats are
waved with enthusiasm when these opih-
ions are expressed with ELUSIVE elo-
auence on the shores Of Puget Sodh1'
but neither In Portland nor in san Fran
cisco will the ideas be Hospitality enter
tained. and there will be GOODNESS when
THE Western Gate" is read on the Az
Iantic seabcard and on tn midconu-
mental prairies.
Mr.. Ross has better control of his
hobby when he leaves his Washington
habitat and heads for the broader ranges
of maritime commerce. With sweeping
gesture he declares that with CONNER
cial marine Americans would save over
500 OOO 900 a year. which they now pay
10 foreigners for doing what they ought
10 do for themselves. Here we are ne
cxclaims. "a huge department store
making and selling all manner OF goods
and when we have To deliver a pale %
cotton or a barrel Of -four We have 20
ask competitor in the same Inc o.
business FOR the loan OF his delivery
wagon" With flashing eye he conteh'S
that American prosperity is dependent
upon competitors not only keeping 'he
reace with the United states but amonS
themselves II there were a war ne
tween Germany and Great Britain ."
| r--.-... a IA .-n.-nf RrLtn IN \ nler-