The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-08-25
srWHY LET ENGLAND DRAW BIG
REBATES ON OUR FOREIGN
TRADE?"
Declares Future Prosperity of the
United States Depends on the Es-
tablishment of an Adequate Mer-
chant Marine System.
(By Steven B. Ayers-o
Former Representative in Congress
from New York City and author of
Building an American Merchant
Marine.")


Prosperity in the near future
greater prosperity than this country
has e enjoyed-seems assured, but
there is one question which has first
to be settled before the United States
can properly enter into its rights and
obtain the full fruits of its energies.
We have got to have an adequate
American merchant marine, and now
is the time.
Unbounded capital is coming in
to the country. Quite Unexpectedly
the war in Europe is going-at least,
such is the outlook-to pay off for us
the money we borrowed long ago to
build our great railroads and other
big permanent works.
1t seems likely that we shall not
hereafter have to pay out vast sums
annually to Europe as interest on
leans to US. We may, in fact, even
find the international financial situa-
ton so strongly reversed that in fu-
ture we shall be drawing interest
from Europe on loans from US.
\ Urges American Ships.
Part of this wealth should 60
straightway to the building of a great
American steamship service. Why
should we continue to sumbit to.Ha
tribute levied by Europe on practi-
cally every ton Of fereign COM
merce, even on that to South Amer
lea?
The position can beput in a e n
tence. Should a great merchant con-
troll the delivery of his goods to his
customers, or may he intrust that i'm
portant part of his business, to the
tender mercies of his rivals? The
United States is now the worlds
greatest manufacturer and merchant.
Is it conceivable that this country is
going to be content to leave its de-
livery system in the hands of the
British?
I think not, for we Americans have
some justification in priding our
selves on our hard business sense.
Shouldn't this big America of ours
put in a delivery service Of its own?
We must do so.
Briton Dictates Terms.
We are trying hard to get trade
with u sister republics in South
America. Do the American people
realize what it must mean to the
prospects of our getting that trade
that a British member of, Parliament,
sitting in London, practically dictates
the terms? What must they think of
us down in Argentina and Brazil for
allowing this to be so?
This is no exaggeration. The steam
ship lines that carry freight to and
from Argentina are governed by a
conference that meets each week in
New York City. But if the repre-
sentatives of the lines can not agree,
they have to cable to England, and
the final word lies with R. P. Hous-
ton, M, P.
A similar conference that meets in
the Produce Exchange Building in
New York fixes the prices it shall cost
US to ship American manufactures to
Brazil, and the final decision on the
rates is made in London, England.
We have no word in it.
Independent Venture Fails.
Some venturesome merchants at
New Orleans tried to establish an
American line from that city to Bra
lillian ports. Their ships took down
American-made machinery and had
to come back empty-and they never
went again. The reason they could
not get any return freight was be-
cause the British lines running from
Brazil to the United States had estab
lished a system of deferred rebates
with all the merchants in the Bra
lillian ports. That closed us out.
Favors Free Canal Use.
There are other ways which, l be-
1ieve, would be more successful and
not be fraught with such grave dan
ger.
The first of these is the free use of
the Panama Canal, as I have urged.
Another way would be the adoption
of discriminating duties in indirect
trade. The advantage of levying
such duties would be that we should
be utterly Indifferent to reprisals.
Such a provision would in five years
restore to us as direct trade all the
carrying that now goes to foreigners
as indirect trade.
The trouble at this moment is
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