New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-01

ivy HY is England protesting against
M favors on our part toward our
w domestic shipping? Why should
the approaching opening of the Panama
Canal especially concern the British mer-
chant marine and the British nation at
large? Has Great Britain any more rea-
son than any other foreign country for APP
prehension lest we take steps toward en-
couraging the upbuilding of our mercan-
tile fleet? She probably has, because Brit
ish business and British diplomacy are
very much allied. In this our cousins
across the water have given us lessons
which we have every reason to heed, even
though we have not done so for many
long year.
Perhaps your purse or income is mod
est one and quite likely--as with most OF
lus-the mere mention of few hundreds
IOf thousands of dollars exceeds the APP
lpreciative limit OF your comprehension.
Nov in order 90 grasp something of the
lsituation which confronts us to-day as
nation you have got to make room In
iyour mind for figures exceeding millions,
land these millions have in a degree to do
with you as with each and all of the rest
lopening OF the Panama Canal brings the
lquestion to q head.
According to the statistics Of the De-
APARTMENT of Commerce and Labor. we inn
ported into and exported from this coun-
TRY Of ours during the fiscal year ended
ion June 80, 1911, total Of S3,210,G42.970
worth of products Of one sort or another
lOf this immense trade the imports repre-
lsented a value of 1,436. 151, ass and the
worth of the exports totalled S1,774,49i,-
i4s5. The excess in favor OF our exports
lamounted TO the sum OF $33S.340.000. In
tother words. our exports exceeded our i'm
,ports by 23h per cent. On the face of II
1.-THE casual citizen will promptly see in
this ample evidence OF prosperous bust
mess relations with the countries beyond
fhe seas, but his assumption is alas, IN
warranted and superficial. As matter
,of fact out Of our total of imports and
exports Of s3.21o642,970 American YES
sells transported only 81 per cent of the
cargoes concerned-91.3 per cent, valued
at the stupendous figure of $3.50. 496, SOC
was shipped in foreign merchant craft
ERIsls IN THE SHIPPING TRADE.
II has been estimated that 50 per cent
OF our oversee trade is borne by the yes
sells Of Great Britain and Germany. with
1.-THE greater portion being handled by ships
OF British registry and under the English
flag. The opening OF the Panama Canal
combined with any legislative encourage
inent really looking to the upbuilding OF
the American merchant marine, will prob
ably bring about changes which may seri-
ously menace British supremacy in this
Ocean-carrying traffic, and the English
people can scarcely be expected to view
a prospect of this sort with equanlmity-
after having enjoyed priority so long
Every ton of freight that Is shipped in a
British bottom means so many more dol
lars annually toward the wealth Of that
nation. ami every ton that is taken from
the British flag lessons by just so much
the balance of commerce on the credit
side We don't want 10 make ourselves
dull In dealing with this really grave
question, and the international bookkeep-
ing involved IN the problem is fortunately
simple enough for any one 10 understand
For purely local reasons-the part New
York's great harbor plays in our oversee
trade-we have the best OF warrant for
giving proper thought TO the situation as
st stands to-day. but on broader basis
1.-The whole nation IS equally concerned.
1t IS not possible to carry freight under
normal conditions back and forth across
the seas, especially when that freight
represents value Of more than sS,o0'OO'.- p