The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-09
WORLDS CARRYING POWER
IN GOOD TIME OF PEACE
In Time Of European War, This
Country Can Take Care
of Itself.
ANY NUMBER or FINE SHIPS
In Main, They Are Built for Coast
wise, Lake and River Tradc-Can
BE Used on Occan-Nothing tn
Worry About.

There is great deal OF speculation
and prophecy as TO the probable effects
OF the general war In Europe upon
business on this side of tho Atlantic.
Ia this connection a review OF the
worlds commerce carriers and the
share therein OF the United States is
particularly interesting at this time
The worlds carrying power now, or
before the breaking out OF This general
European war, includes approximately
~. Gct vessels. with an AGGREGATE ga
pacity OF 47.0oo."oo gross IONS aud has
nearly doubled in capacity during the
last .I:enty years. In number. how
ever. this commerce feet has dccrca scd
Slightly. thus showing "a tcndcncy>to
ward larger carrying units. These fig
urcs arc based upon the tonnage OF all
vessels Of over 100 tons engaged In
trade. whether domestic or foreign, Oh
ocean. river and lake.
UNITED STATES SHIPS AND
HOW THEY ARR: BEING: USED
This country ranks second in num-
Der and tonnage OF vessels engaged in
commerce. but this is due to the vast
number engaged in lake and ocean
'coastwise trade. since the number of
American vessels engaged in foreign
trade. according to reports received by
thc bureau of Foreign and Domestic
Coinmc-ce. United States Department
OF Commerce. is less than that OF Great
Britain. Germany. France. Italy or
ment Of Lloyd's, out of an aggregate
tonnage of 47.000.00O gross tons in
l9l3-1sI4, 80 per cent were credited TO
Great Britain, I per cent to the United
States. II per cent TO Germany. about
= per cent each 10 Norway and France
s pei cent each to Holland. Italy and
Japan, and from Al to ! 81 per cent
to Russia, Sweden, Austria Hungary
Denmark and Spain.
The carrying trade ~of the United
Stnt
Goa stwisc and lake traffic and a strik-
ing decline on the ocean. While the
gross tonnage of American vessels en-
gaGcd>in lake and coastwisc trade was
increasing from. 3.657.30i tons in 1883 TO
9TaS.56l tons in 1918. that OF our YES
sells in the foreign trade was decrcas-
ing from 1,30".o25 tons to .027,176
tons. an increase in one case of I6S
per cent and Il decrease in the other
of 81 per cent during II thrtyycar
period in which the value of our foreign
trade rose from .5o0.0oo,000 TO $i,
800. 10000
ALL NATIONS GETTING READY
FOR THE PANAMA CANAL
The volume of the oversee commerce
served by the worlds merchant marine
cannot be definitely stated. 1t is
known. however that a considerable
portion OF The $4,000 900. 600 worth Of
merchandise imported and exported an
nually by the various nations is car
ricd ny vessel tn United Kingdom,
being an island community. necessarily
Imports and exports all it's mer-
chandsc by vessel. The United States
sends about four-ifths of its exports TO
South America and oversee countries.
Brazil sends % per cent of her eX-
ports to extra South American COM
munities. Nearly half the goods
shipped from countries in Asia Is
destined for -Aslatic communi-
ties. and practically all of Africa's
trade staples find markets outside tho
Dark Continent. While trade between
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