The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-08-11
Americas Opportunity.

Americas Opportunity.
The nresent great foreign war and its in
+ornat;onal combinations has raised some great
practical questions that this nation for the well
fore If it's own citizens must shortly settle.
A.. . nation we produce more agricultural
and manufactured products than we consume
I1aretofore and under conditions of information
81 neace we have been able to ship our surplus
products in foreign ships to distant shores.
With the great war on, however, our lack OF
sufficient national merchant marine is a serious
handicap as foreign ships no longer dare run
the risk of the danger of capture ana are COM
PEELED to give up the rich American overseas
carrying trade.
Naturally this Greats state of disorganiza-
ton in our industries. Happily this condltlon
will not last long, thanks to the heroic efforts
of the national administration and the country
great business interests. Congress through the
passage Of emergency legislation IS rapidly paw
ing the way for foreign built ships to come un-
der American registry. American business
men are as rapidly preparing to finance the i'm
pending purchase of the foreign ships that are
to be added to the American merchant marine.
The American merchant marine was swept
from the seas by our own great war OF the ne
bellion. High insurance rates and the deadly
Southern commerce destroyers accomplished
that ruin.
The present world war of the great continent
marines what the Civil war did for that OF the
tai nations will do for their respective merchant
United States. Commerce destroyers and war
insurance rates on vessels and cargoes will cause
their usual damage. This will rebound to the
benefit of the United States Being neutral
country our merchant marine will receive tre-
mendous impetus as all the world unaffected
by the war will be demanding sea carriers for
the interchange of products.
Therefore, despite the unpleasant disturb
ance to our industrial and agricultural interests
caused by the outbreak of this war; in the long
run they staAd to be helped tremendously by it..
The world shut off from the products and mar
kets of the warning nations will turn to us for
relief.
That the United States, after the world war
is over will be able to hold this great gain in for
eign commerce that is coming to it, is another
certainty. The cost of the will alter Eu-
ropes competitive plane with America. That
cost will result in tremendous increase in the
rate of taxation all over Europe. Inasmuch as
taxes well as all other costs enter into the
prices at which articles may be marketed, it is
reasonably certain that European manufacturers
will be compelled to ask much more for their
goods in the future than they have in the past
American manufacturers, spared the huge
permanent cost of war expenditures, backed by
the enormous power and prestige of new and
mighty American merchant marine, will sweep
the worlds markets with their products.
The United States did not desire the coming
of this war. The people of this country would
give up all the trade advantages that are SURELY
going to be theirs shortly to end it, stopping the
awful waste in lives and international wealth
that is resulting Since this is impossible, how
ever. Americans can now seize with clean hands
the trade advantages that the warning nations
of the world are so wantony casting from them.
Seventh Centenary of Roger Bacon
While the earth shakes with the conflict Of
warning hosts, while the peoples of the world are
filled with alarms and fears, during the time
when the very map of the world has become fluid
and quick with change, circles of sober men Of