The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-08-16
rHE RICHMOND NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AtGUsT 6 1914

protection of the financial forces OF
the country; the very forces which
Yellow Journalism and the people for
which Yellow Journalism stands had
been denouncing, but Europe. likewise.
turned to these very institutions that
they might help to meet some OF
their problems
II there fs In our people. and surely
all must admit that there is. the cap
ability of learning by sad experience
they will learn through this situation
to think less harshy OF our great
business leaders and to recognize their
integrity OF character. as well as their
strength In financial affairs. The gov
eminent and the business interests OF
the country have been brought into
closer touch, and into closer co-opera-
ton than for many years, and out
of this much good will come.
Need Of Merchant Marine.
We have been brought as nation
into closer touch: and bankers and
manufacturers, financiers and govern
ment officials have all learned to
know each other somewhat better,
have learned to see each other race
to face and eye to eve, and this IS
worth much. We have at the same
time learned the need of safeguarding
our future against the conditions
need OF building up merchant
marine in keeping with our resources
and the possibilitie Of our commerce.
Moreover. as a nation we have been
taught as we could rot nave been
taught in any other way the supreme
necessity OF great merchant marine.
For years men who have foreseen the
possibility of this condition nave
labored in vain to awaken our conn-
80 he eith
The necessity for merchant marine
has never been so clearly recognized
as 1t Ia now. Indeed, many people
have secuted at the need of 1t, and
said that we could more wisely de-
pend upon European ships to carry
our stuff abroad because they could
do 1t at a lower cost than could Amer
lean ships, and that, therefore. we
we're making a profit by letting them
do the carrying trade. In the last TWO
weeks, the people of this country. the
farmer who produces the grain and
tho cotton, the banker, the manufac-
turer and the capitalist. have suffered
greater aggregate loss than the
amount that would have been needed,
even under most liberal subsidy, to
have built up merchant marine
equal to present needs.
The cotton growers Of the south
and the grain growers of the West
have been told that they were not
interested In ocean shipping. and that
1t did not concern them whether the
United States had merchant marine
or not They have now learned by
sad and costly experience that they
need this merchant marine more than
the manufacturers and capitalists, and
far more than the men who have been
the leaders for twenty-five years or
more In advocating the development /
Of our shipping interests.
We should Immediately pass legis- /
lation that would stimulate the build |
ing in our own ship yards OF mer-
chant marine in keeping with our
needs for in no other way can We ado |
quately develop our ship-building |
facilities and safeguard our future
While we have thus been learning
these vital lessons. we have at the
same time been suddenly thrust by
all the powers of Europe into the /
center of the stage to do the great /
work OF maintaining the worlds
financial equilibrium and sha ping the I
financial and business affairs Of the /
world. 4
The seat Of empire Of finance ana |
commerce and industry Is already pre- |
pairing to transfer its home to this, !
the most Supremacy blessed land upon
which the sun shines.
What matters so far as we as a
nation are concerned. the difficulties
of the moment in the light of the
limitless opportunities OF the coming
years Well may our people OF all |
sections put aside doubts and fears
and pessimism and go forward in the /,
broad upbuilding of every business
interest.