The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-23
By Lewis Nixon
 The Famous Naval Expert

INDEPENDENCE is or was, the ruling prin-
 ciple of the American people. For this they cheerfuy sacrificed life and fortune in the War of the Revolution. For this they fought England in 181214, determined that national rights should be respected. For this at the cost of life and property, they fought in the Civil War, for otherwise American na tional unity would have been destroyed.
 What is the prospect now with the Union unimpaired and the country prosperous from ocean to ocean, with population of one hun dred millions compared with the three millions when independence was achieved? What can be done by Europe any European or Asi- atic nation to check our prosperity or turn our wealth into their coffers? Manifestly, to destroy our ambition to become our own car rers and merchants and to reduce us simply to producers and consumers, leaving to them and their loyal agents as carriers and mer chants all the cream of trade. They have sue ceeded in convincing our people for many years now that 1t is cheaper for us to let them do our trade and transportation.
 We must appeal, not to mistaken economy and spacious arguments Ill IaVor or the cheap uess but to statesmanShlp.
 Statesmanship, looking to the good of the American people an Independent nation, formed the Union and established the Const- tuition, and intended that every right of nation should be insured by that instrument Among such rights is preference for the em- ployment of our own people in doing our own work, both on land and sea.
 Full employment and fair wages have enriched md made great country, and no principle of economy is sound that would give for em- ployment own people to the citizens subjects of other nations.
 But this is sought to be done when it is advocated that cheapness and not nativity or labor shall rule the country's engagements. found, strong nation cannot be built up on this principle
 If Government they defend the Government in time and foreigners throng our labor and trade marts Tn time of peace. doing the work that pays the best wage?
 Shall we have no shipping of our own be- cause our merchants and seamen want decent wages and good living, knowing that under proper policy it can be afforded, with even- tual resultant national profit?
 Our shipwrghts, mechanics and seamen want no more wages than their country affords to the men of other trades and empoyments.
 At any rate, the Constitution of the United States, having the sanction of as wise men as the world doing like work, out of whom selfshness had been cast by the holy spirit of patriotism, settled the shipping ques tion and settled it right, to wit: That there should be national marine adequate to the carriage of our trade for the purpose of attain ing and securing independence in commerce and navigation and that this purpose should be accomplished through regulation of trade (Art l., Section 8, Clause 3.)
 So we have the shipping question, the solu ton of which will do more to win the grati tude and to conserve the welfare of our people than any other question now before us.
 Is the shipping question simple one! Yes and mo- The writer has been studying 1t for twentyseven years and for the past twelve wears has devoted hour day to research and consideration, and yet each day finds some phase of the question that is new. And yet in general it is simple. Ignoring history and experience. there are many who, when the hu- initiating facts connected with our dependence on foreign nations are once appreciated, jump to conclusions and with the cocksure tendency of the age wish to apply coal tar panaceas to cure chronic malady.
 I shall not attempt to follow the histories of maritime nations, as they can be read by those interested. but l shall tell what we have done and give in simple story how we gained the mastery of the seas and how, through be- ing tricked by abler statesmanship. have lost 1t. In order that the reader may study this great question for himself shall give facts and few conclusions: for while l have definite and posi- five ideas they all arise from study of history. and if l present alright the history the conclu- sions will follow as natural sequence.
 When the thirteen colonies of Great Britain achieved their independence they were impoy. erished without an adequate merchant marine. and conditions were such that continuing as they were their poverty would be increased and their marine be vanished. The great men brought to the front by great events reallzeo that the three pillars of nations greatness were commerce, agriculture and manufacturing
 The thirteen States had many means ol regulating commerce, ledulnS u eHuiooo SoAA fusion and loss; it was seen that centra power to regulate commerce was essential. and such necessity the compelling cause ol the formation of the Union and the adoption of our Constitution.
 The various States delegated their separate powers to regulate commerce, to ethe central government, and this power was accepted as 2 sacred pact duty which must be exercised
 It will be said that the power to regulate commerce certainly such regulation al will prevent it's disappearance Yet while ws have in the past carried as much as 9S pel cent of our foreign commerce, we now carry less than per cent. and our merchant marine in the oversea trade is less than it was in 1910 over one hundred years ago.
 There is tendency to regard the Consti tuition as a thing of the musty past, and school of foreign political economy has beer foisted upon us in late years wherein th' fetish of cheapness is held up as the chief ent of man for others while given the lie in al lines of national endeavor in practise by thu very ones who preach it.