The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-08-21

| dropped 10 less imam OHe-tWelitI VI
cent of that. After the war we grad
ually got back our share Of the car
rying trade, but 1t was not until
1925 that we reached 92.3 per cent
of 1t. After the day of wooden YES
sells we lost part of our supremacy,
owing to the fact that England was
able to build iron vessels cheaper
than we we're, but still we grew in
our shipping, losing only in the pro-
portion of our foreign commerce
which we carried until 1860, with a
foreign commerce of $6S7,192,176,
of which 66.5 per cent was being
carried in American bottoms.
Then came our great and destruc-
tive war, and in 1854 we were cary
ing only 27.5 per cent of a very much
reduced commerce. Our proportion
of the trade picked up slowly with
advancing commerce, and In 1870
we were carrying 1915 per cent. Then
followed a rapid decline until 1890.
when we were carrying only 1913
per cent of our commerce and only
3 per cent of the goods we sent
abroad. In 1896 we still had IL
per cent of the carrying trade. but
even that has gradually fallen off.
until in 1912 this country carried
only IL per cent. of its exports in
its own vessels. while over 81 per
cent was carried in British vessels
and over II per cent in German
vessels. The following nations car
ried more of our exports that we
did: Great Britain. Germany. France.
Holland. Italy. Belgium and Dem
mark. Austria carried practically
as much as we did.
In 1918. so American vessels
cleared from American ports for Eu-
ope. while 1896 foreign vessels
cleared. To our shame be 1t said
that there are only six American
transatlantic liners. While British
passenger ships made ATS voyages
from the United States to Europe.
and German ships made 302, French
ships 1853 and Italian ships 73.Amer-
lean ships made only % out of
total of 1900 voyages in 1913.
Our present shipping could not
carry even the wheat crop we ex-
port to Europe. With our flag prac-
tically banished from foreign ports
as 1t would be practically banished
from our own ports were 1t not for
our coastwise trade, we should set
about restoring 1t to the seas. Great
Britain took away the bulk of our
carrying trade during the Civil War.
Now is our opportunity to get back
what wealost then; but If we keep it
we must have other and better regu-
lations in the future.
Whether the United States can
obtain any advantage from the gen.
eral conflict in Europe depends up
on many unknown factors. Heads
of iron and steel companies agree
that metals have yet to feel the ef-
feet of the struggle at arms in the
near East, unless It be in a tendency
toward lower prices for the next
few months. Not until an account
ing of the destruction of permanent
construction has been made. II is
pointed out. will Europe's demands
on the United States for metals be
known. unless the mills OF Germany.
England and Belgium be drawn up
on for men for the contending ar
mics.
Flour has already responded to
the cry of the war, and with a
threatened cessation of importations
of eggs, these are looked upon as
due for sharp rise. with a prospect
that a few months hence the prices
will top those il last winter.
There is no way of comparing pos
sible increases with happenings of
the past, for there has been no gen.
eral European war since the day of
and in his time there were
no market quotations nor a Chicago
wheat pit from which to Judge.
The nearest comparisons that can
be made is with the prices prevail
Ing before the outbreak of the Fran
co-Prussian war in the midsummer
Of 1870, the prices prevailing six
months later, when Germans were
besieging Paris. and finally the pri-
les current now. Records taken from
he local market reports show the
following prices July s, 1870. Jan. s,
1871. July 80, 1914;
Wheat s1.46. -1.4s sl.55, S1.s0. /
|063k. $0.s4h. Corn s1.05, rs.
TT. .S5. .S5h. Oats So. IS. .54,
81. AS. <5h. Flour $500, 1856,