The Washington herald., 1911-12-17

AuOlnGT interesting A6AN VII OCAoAL Va
the American merchant marine is prom
ised at this session of Congress when
the SuIzer bill, which seeks to aid the
merchant marine by the means of prefer
entiaI duties, is brought up in the House.
The bill is now before the Ways and
Means Committee. Hearings will be held
on It about the middle Of January, and
It will be reported out to the House
soon after. Mr.. Sulzer believes there is
no room for failure.
Speaking Of his bill yesterday, Mr..
Sulzer said:
1--WE all realize that there is a senti-
ment growing stronger and stronger
every day. throughout the country in
favor of doing something to rehabilitate
our merchant marine. 1t is unfortunate,
however, that many well-meaning citi-
zens who desire to see our ocean trade
carried in our own merchant marine
have little knowledge OF the best way
to do it. or OF the causes which gradu-
ally drove our shipping from the high
seas and placed US finally at the bottom
OF the list of the worlds maritime powers.
Our Tonnage Decreasing.
1T is a fact-a most deplorable fact
and every man who has investigated the
subject knows II, that We have less reg
istered tonnage for deep-sea carrying
trade to-day than we had 100 years ago.
In 1910 the United States, with a popula-
ton OF less than 100000 inhabitants,
owned more registered tonnage for ocean
carrying trade than the United States in
1910, with q population of over SO,OOO,OOO.
The American deep-sea tonnage in 1910
was over 100, CO., and It is now less than
500, ,oO0 and, what is worse still, 1t showed
an actual decrease of more than 5000
tons last year. In 1910 American ships,
flying the American flag and manned by
American sailors, carried over 80 per cent
of our deep-sea trade and a great part
of that of all the countries of Europe.
To-day we carry very little of our own
trade and practically none of other coun-
tries notwithstanding the fact that we
should be the foremost maritime power
in the world
at is a sad commentary on our COM
mercial growth and material greatness
that more than nine-tenths of our once
great and powerful deep-sea fleet has
vanished, and not one new keel for an
ocean-going merchant ship is being laid
to-day on either our Atlantic or Pacific
coast while the vessels Of foreign ma
tions throng our ports and monopolize
more than nine-tenths Of all our import
and export commerce.
In 1910 over 81 per cent of our export
and import trade was carried in Amert-
can bottoms; in 1910 less than per cent
of our imports and exports were carried
in American ships.
We Pay $500, 100000 Annually.
THE United States pays to owners Of
foreign deep-sea vessels for conveying
our freight and passengers over $780,
OOO, 1000 a year, and much of this vast sum
Of money goes to the owners of foreign
steamers which are regularly enrolled on
the merchant cruiser lists Of European
governments. manned by naval reserve
lists of sailors and officers and i'm
mediately available for use against us
In time Of war. The British empire has
16.OOO,0OO tons OF merchant shipping; Ger
many has s,96O,oOO tons; France, 1885,
900 tons; Norway, 1,96O,OOO tons, and Italy,
1,5SO,OOO tons. The larger part of all
these great deep-sea fleets is engaged
in the ocean carrying trade, but the
government of the United States which
produces and exports more merchandise
than any other nation on earth has
fleet registry of deep-sea vessels of less
than 500, 600 tons
81 have introduced in Congress a bill |
for preferential duties. The bill pro- |
vides that a reduction Of per centum |
ad valorem of the customs duties shall |
be allowed on all merchandise imported |
into the United States in vessels Of the |
United States; and in cases where no |
customs duties are imposed by law there |
shall be levied a duty of per cent |
urn ad valorem. The reduction Of 8 |
per centum shall not apply to goods |
nor of the growth, production, or manu- |
facture of countries contiguous to or |
bordering upon the territory Of the |
United States, when imported into the |
United States by large transportation |
from ports or other places of countries |
bordering upon the United States, If the |
same shall have been brought to such |
ports in vessels not of the United States. |
In cases where no customs duties are |
imposed, a duty of per centum ad /
Valorem shall be levied
THE bill further provides that the |
owner of any registered vessel of the
United States shall be exempt from the |
tax of 81 for every alien entering the |
United States on such vessel
Bill Is Well Supported.
Many true friends of our merchant
marine believe that If this bill were a
law II would revive our oversee carry
ing trade, and in very few years build
up our ship industries so that We would |
again secure our share of the ocean