Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-08-04
John Temple Graves Shows How United
States Loses Through Not Own
ing It's Own Ships.
SHIPPING TRUST OF EUROPE
CANNOT BE CONTROLLED
Efforts 10 Head off Combine Meet
With No Results and Rates Are
Fixed As Desired.
By John Temple Graves.

By John Temple Graves.
1t is estimated that for the fiscal
year ending June 80 the exports of the
United States reached the enormous fig
ure of 50, 400 100000, and that the bal
apce of trade in our favor approx
mates $675,OOO,OOO, sum never before
equaled upon the balance sheet Of ma
tions.
These figures are tribute to our
national greatness and prosperity. They
carry also a serious reflection upon our
national enterprise and q distinct hu.
initiation to our national pride.
For all this mighty comerce overseas
less than per cent were transported
under the American flag. The magnifi-
cent balance of our trade is almost cut
in two by the enOrmosu sums we pay
to foreign shIs to carry our own pro
duets to the markets of the world.
More than $75OOOO,00o of foreign
capital is today invested in foreign
yards building ships to transport the
commerce we furnish.
More than 100000 is paid each
day to foreigners building and operat-
ing foreign ships to carry the trade of
our country. Of this $l,OO0,0OO daily
paid 80 per cent goes to foreign labor.
This 100000 each day should be
given to the American laborer and kept
at home to do American business in.
stead of going abroad to foreign labor
and to enrich our commercial rivals.
No Delivery Wagons.
This is but single phase of the in
jury we suffer from having no ships of
our own. Our tremendous foreign trade
is made in the face of the greatest OBJ.
stacles. 1t would easily double within
the next five years if we had our own
ships-our own delivery wagons-tO
carry our trade to our customers.
The rate paid by every passenger
and by every pound of freight going
from any port Of this country to any
foreign port is fived in advance by
agreement among foreign steamship
combines and conferences. If an Amer.
lean shipper desires to send a bushel
Of wheat OF bale Of cotton or any
other product to Europe he must pay
the rate fixed in advance by the trust
in Hamburg, Germany. If an Ameri.
can merchant wishes to send a barrel
Of flour or Of cement or a piece Of ma.
chinery or any freight to South Ameri
ca he must wait until the foreign
steamship combine in this country can
ascertain from Europe what price must
be charged for carrying it.
Not an American vessel runs from
this country directly to South America
beyond the equator,
Every American citizen that crosses
the Atlantic or goes to South America
must pay the rate that the foreign
steamship combine fixes in advance in
jena, Germany Of course, these rates
are always the highest that the trade
will bear.
Six per cent net is considered a rea.
sonable profit upon investment of great
sums of capital in this country. Yet
the Hamburg. American Steamship Com.
pany admits net profit of more than
10 per cent upon a capitalization of ap.
proxiately $lOOOOO,OOO. In fact, the
real net earning of the Hamburg com.
pany is said to be nearer 90 per cent
annually, This tremendous profit is
chiefly levied upon American com.
merce.
Opposition TO America.
Not only are all freight and passen.
ger rates from this country to foreign
ports fixed by agreement by these for.