The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-08-10
Progressive Democratic Con-
gresham Says Present
Emergency Is Lesson
WOULD REBUILD OLD
MERCHANT MARINE
Revision of Marine Policy Must
Be Undertaken at
Once
RAYMOND W. PULLMAN.
Times Washington Bureau. No. 704
Metropolitan Bank Building.


Metropolitan Bank Building.
WASHINGTON. August 10.--As q
further evidence OF his interest in
one OF the big national problems Of
the United States. the Congressional
Record OF August s carries a carefully
prepared and convincing address OF
Representative Samuel w, Beakes on
the need OF building up an American
merchant marine. The Second Mich
lgan districts congressman, In adj
vocacy OF the emergency measure
providing for ship registry. said:
while this bill permitting Amer
can individuals or American corpora
lions to purchase foreign ships and
take an American register 80 that
they may ny the American flag and
be entitled to its protection. Is only
an emergency measure, and Will not
alone restore US to our old-time SUI
premacy in transporting our imports
and exports across the ocean, ! look
upon II as step in the right direc-
lion. Once America was the proud
commercial mistress of the seas. Our
lag was found in every port. Now
the American flag Is rarely seen on
vessels entering European ports. We
nave given over the transportation OF
even our own products to foreign
hands.
"The emergency now upon US
should force home with overwhelming
force the folly OF our marine policy
md the extreme danger to our people
n allowing this condition to remain.
Al last even the people In the interior
IF America should be able to see that
their own pockets are directly az
.ected. With practically all Europe
embarked In q destructive war, how
are we to get our wheat, our corn,
our cotton, our agricultural and manu-
actured products over the ocean,
What good will our bountiful crops
10 II we cannot sell them to- people
who need them now even more than
ever, when the soldier reserves have
All been called into action and the
farm and factory In Europe Is lily
manned?
eve cannot ship these in vessels OF
the warning powers subject to capture
and confscation. We cannot ship
hem In our own vessels, because we
10 not have the vessels. We have
allowed the American flag to be
driven from the seas. Hence the
emergency. Hence the need for quick
action. II our farmers are TO sell the
products OF their farms. some means
must be devised to transport them TO
the markets. II our factories are to
run overtime to supply Europe with
what she needs when her own fac
.ories are idle, we must have some
means of transporting the manufac-
tured goods abroad.
I'm the first speech made after
my election to congress, / called at
tention to the great need of building
Up the American merchant marine. 1
know many others have felt along
his line. but in the great constructive
work n>which we have been engaged,
The devising Of the needed measures
mas been put of too long They can
aot be devised hastily. II needs much
1ard study and work-much deep
thought. The sixty-third congress-
has already put more constructive
legislation on the statute books than
any congress within the recollection
IF the present generation. but there
Is one further task that we must un-
iertake, undertake II earnestly and
1t once, and that II to so revise our
marine policy that once more Amer
lean ships shall sail the seas, Amer
lean products In American bottoms
enter every port and all the oceans
once more shall wave the American
dag.
The present emergency calls with
more force upon us than can any mere
words to take back the trade that once
was ours. The first step we took
when we passed the Underwood tariff
law; and there was no provision Of
that law that I took as much delight
liz voting for as that provision which
rebated i've per cent Of the duty on