The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-08-26
OUR FLAG ON OUR SHIPS.

OUR, FLAG ON OUR SHIPS.
In anticipation of favorable
action by Congress on the bill to
provide the United States with
that which all other powerful
nations have, but we hav not a
merchant marine, arrangements
have been made for the chang
ing of registry Of hundreds of
vessels which have been flying
foreign flags and have been
manned by foreign officers and
crews. The bill makes it posi-
bic to admit to registry all sea-
going vessels now owned or
which may be owned by AmerI-
cans. It is expected that the
first big line to change will be
the Uuited Fruit Company, an
American corporation having 1876
ships. These were built abroad,
and cost about two-thirds the
price of craft of equal tonnage
constructed in United States
yards. To avoid the paymen'
of duties imposed by Uncle Sam
they have been flying the Brit
ish flag.
Since steam was applied to
the worlds carrying trade, our
greatest need has been ships
under our own colors. J he
United States has a more -ex-
tended frontage on the two great
oceans than any other country,
and yet, while we have been
supplying other nations from our
wonderful resources. there has
scor q constant decline Of the
pro;,o1 c.oI II our trade carried
in our ships, from SO per cent in
1926, to about s per cent at pres
ent.
The emergency created by the
war has forcibly called the ne
cessity Of having an adequate
merchant marine to the atten-
ton of those who could not or
would not see it before. Uncle
Sans commerce cannot be. left
at the mercy of the i'll tempered
Kings. Our elevators are bulg-
ing with new wheat, freight
trains laden With grain are
blocking the railroad sidings.
AS Europe must have more than
its usual share of the prodnce OF
our farms, a way will be found
to get it across the sea, but why
should not the transportation be
by vessels under the American
fag9 Over S3O00,OOO,O00 was
paid out last year for the carry
ing of our exports by foreign
ships, and that did not include
the insurance. In reality the
balance of trade was against the
United States, instead of being
in our favor, as generally sup
posed. We need ships to end
the drain on our basic money.
We need them not alone to get
our surplus grain to Europe, but
to bear our cotton and lumber
to the many markets that are
left, to take our manufactures to
South America and the Far East
to carry the banner of American
commerce to all parts Of the
world.
The Blade has always been
strongly in favor Of a large, well
equipped merchant marine, ben
edtting our position among the
nations. Readers will remem-
Der in his South America articles
Mr.. Boyce stated that real Amer
ican fleets of commerce would be
the only justification for our fab,
ulous expenditure in building
the Panama Canal. At that
time he said:
During the two years imme-
diately preceding my journey to
South America. I travelled
more than $4,000 miles on water.
aud in that time I had been in
many of the chief ports of the
world, but with the exception of
vessels belonging to our navy
and private yachts. I saw the
Stars and Stripes floating over
only three steamers-on three,
mind you. out of at least ten
thousand ships that I saw in diff
ferent ports and passed at sea.
Our navy was built chiefly on
the theory that we should be