The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-09-01
AMERICAN AND
MERCHANT MARINE
Chamber OF Commerce In Paris Deter.
mined to Bring About the RehabIIi-
tatlon Of the American
Shipping Trade.
IN CASE OF WAR-WHAT?
Whose Ships Would Carry the Foreign
Trade Of America is the Cues
tIon Put up by Paris
Americans.

by William Philip Sims Paris cor
respondent Of the United Press
PARIS, Aug. 31.-Tlle American
Chamber Of Commerce In Paris, the
largest commercial organization Of
| American citizens outside the United
States, with connections extending all
over the world, has determined to
leave no stone unturned to bring about
the rehabilitation of the American
Merchant Marine.
While the chamber does not go so
far as to say so, in SO many words, It
| is evidently somewhat uneasy over
the situation in Europe, lest a war
break out between the great shipping
nations and thus deal a stunning blow
to American trade Most Of Americas
foreign trade is carried in foreign
ships, it is pointed out, principally In
/ the ships of England Germany,
| France, Austria and Italy, and just
] now war talk is common In each of
these lands.
! A war between Germany and Eng
land, American business men here de-
clare, is not at all an impossibility in
the comparatively near future France
/! and Germany do not waste much love
4 on each other, and besides, France,
through her Entente Cordiale, sides
with England Italy and Austria are
4 allied to Germany.
In the event of a war, in whose
ships would the foreign trade of
1 America be carried? American bust
ness men here ask. In the latest
bulletin, just published. the Ameri-
can Chamber of Commerce declares
i The chamber believes that the
4 slight difference OF opinion between
the friends OF the American Merchant
Marine. as to the proper remedy to
be applied by congress, should not be
allowed to jecpardize the cause; there
should be a solid union of all those
who wish to see our merchant fleet
restored to its proper position, and
4 congress should determine the legis-
lation to accomplish it,
4 The chamber has more than once
"memorialized'' congress on this sub
!! ject. The latest petition, now in
4 the hands of the proper persons in
4 Washington, has ia addition been sent
to the chambers of commerce and in
dustrial organizations throughout the
United States 1t is particularly strong
and in part reads:
Whereas our great and growing for
eign trade vitality interests all our
citizens, whether pursuing their voca-
items at home or abroad and
Whereas the carrying OF that vast
trade is now, and has long been, prac-
tically monopolized by foreigners, as
is deplorably evident from the fact
that. according to official statistics, no
ship bearing our flag entered the ports
of London, Havre or Marseilles Tin
1870 and that over 80 per cent OF the
foreign trade of the port of New York
is carried in foreign bottoms, and
Whereas it Is estimated that over
six hundred million dollars are an
nually paid by the people of the Unit
ed States to foreigners for the carry.
ing, marine Insurance, etc, of our
foreign trade, instead of being ex-
pended upon American labor and en-
terprise, and
Whereas, conflict, industrial and
international. involving one or more
of the great maritime nations OF
Europe would inevitably arrest and
j paralyze our great foreign trade
through lack of American or neutral
vessels for its transportation, thus
causing widespread suffering and dis
tress throughout our land, and
, Whereas it is our firm belief thai
congress can, in its wisdom formulate
such legislation as will permit the