New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-11-18
YANKEE SHIPPING COSTLY John F. CARROLL DEAD
Head of Naval Architects Tells
Why America Is Behind.
PRICE OF LABOR HIGH
Secretary Meyer of the Navy
Outlines Plan for Abolition OF
Yards on Atlantic Coast.

Stevenson Taylor. president OF the
American Society of Naval Architects and
Marine Engineers. replied last night TO A.
Barton IIepburn's declaration in favor OF
free ships. At the dinner OF the Chamber
of Commerce a. the Waldorf on Thursday
night MI Hepburn said that 1l9 years OF
refusing American registry to foreign-bult
ships had demonstrated the folly OF pro-
lection by the deterioration OF the Ameri-
can merchant marine.
Standing in the same place last night
at the dinner Of the Naval Architects. Mr.
Taylor said that such a statement was
unpatriotic and un-American.
Il was much srieved and hurt last night
said Mr. Taylor. addressing the members
81 the society as their chairman, sitting
here as a member Of the Chamber of Com
rlerce TO near my friend Mr.. Hepburn
rake the statements he did In regard TO
free American registry for foreign built
ships. 4 man who says what ho did must
10 unmindfuI OF the great Industrial prog
rCSs OF our country due to protection. II
4. not only the cost OF the ships, but the
cost OF manning them. that makes Ameri-
con ships mole expensive than foreign
ones. The man who speaks as hr. Hep
burn did is unmlndful Of tie fact that
American ships cost more than foreign
built vessels. because American labor Is
Letter paid than foreign labor, and he is
trmindful Of The fact that the laws OF THIS
country require better treatment Of Ar1eri-
can sailors than they receive under any
other flag that floats.
Two weeks ago | saw tho great fleet OF
war vessels gathered by this country ~
the Hudson River and ! was proud OF my
country and proud of the laws thai re-
qulrcd that those ships should be built II
America The man who would talk OF free
ships as Mr.. Hepburn talked OF them Is
unpatriotic and I'M Amcrican.'
Mr.. Taylor was speaking at the nineteenth
annual dinner of the society, the special
feature Of which was the presentation o'
the John Fritz medal TO Sir William Henr,
White The medal was established in lvo'
OH the occasion OF the eightieth birthday
OF John Fritz. the founder of the Bethle'
hem Steel Works. Mr. Fritz, now eighty
nine years old. was one of the guests al
the dinner last night.
Sir william Is the seventh man 70 receive
the medal The others who have had II
are Lord Kelvin, for his achievements III
cable teleSraphy; George Westinghouse toE
the invention OF the air brake; Alexander
Graham Bell for the invention of th'
telephone: Thomas \. Edison, for his
achievements in biography; Charles l.
! Porter for the advancement OF the science
OF steam engineering, and Alfred Noble
for his work in civil engineering. Sir Will
lam received the medal for the building of
the Mauretania and other work in naval
architecture.
The medal was presented To Sir William
by Onward Bates president of the John
Fritz Medal Fund, who sat next to MI
Fritz at the speakers table. Among the
other guests were Secretary Meyer OF the
| Navy Department. Commander Retzmann'
| Of the German navy; Calvin b. Humphrey,
Rear Admiral T.. II. &. LeutZe, COM
Irandant Of the Brooklyn navy yard;
George Westinghouse Rear Admiral Hutch
I. Cone. engineer in chief OF the navy;
Rear Admiral w. l.. Capps, chief naval
constructor; Commander Vsssilieff Rus
sian naval attache: Captain Van Duzer, OF
the Brooklyn navy yard, and Baron Won
Freussen, Austrian naval attache.
lie said that he was about to recommend
certain changes in the personnel or the
navy which would result in the amalsama-
ton of some of the STAFF corps with the
line. II was his opinion, he said, that all
active naval officers must he members OF
the line, while they still specialized in GER
tain branches of naval work. lie had APP
pointcd a board, he told the society, to
plan the best means OF bringing about the
amalgamation OF the pay and construction
corps with the line Of the navy. In the
future no more paymasters would be APP
noiutod but line officers would perform the
duties of the pay corps.
Nj. Meyer also referred 10 the effect OF
the opening OF the Panama Canal on the
navy yards II have talked with officers.
statesmen and some politicians" he SAID,
Ion the abolition OF the navy yards When
the Panama canal is completed and the
sims of our navy spend half their time on
the Pacific Coast aud half on the Atlantic
Coast. no argument will be needed TO show
that we nave too many navy yards, and
there will be no trouble then to abolish at
least half of the navy yards on the At
lantic Coast
Secretary Meyer said that the enlarge
ment Of the navy during the last twenty
five years had had a marked effect upon
the extension Of the steel and iron industry
and the cheapening of its product. Since
the navy has been placed Oh a modern
basis" he said. "and has reached the rank
Of second or third i'm the navies Of the
world we find that there were in 1905 2427i0
wage earners i'm the steel and iron industry.
earning In a year sl4l, $1,000 and producing
iron and steel worth SO5,OW,G0O. Therefore,
| claim that the money expended on battle
ships and cruisers has not been thrown
away"