Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1915-01-10
FOREIGN TRADE
Of THE COUNTRY
LEFT HELPLESS
Secretary McAdoo Address,
ing Chicago Chamber of
Commerce on Need Which
Has Been Most Unex-
pectedly Felt

CHICAGO, Jan. 9.-Secretary Nc
Adoo declared tonight in a speech to
the Commercial club of Chicago that
the administration ship purchase bill
now pending in congress offers the on
ly solution of the problem of how to
build up an adequate American mer-
chant marine. 1t promises, he said, to
overcome many of the obstacles the
European war has thrust in the path of
American trade expansion and to help
prosperity.
The creation of an American mer-
chant marine. he argued. is not a par
tisan question but a policy which has
received the Endorsement of both the
democratic and republican parties for
thirtyfive years Failure of the Re
publican party to legislate to that end,
IN twenty Years of power, he said,
shower it the more culpable.
THE democratic party" he added,
now has the power to legislate, and it
will be equally culpable if it fails to
act. 1t will be even more culpable if
It does nothing, since the emergency
created by the European war has en-
phaszed, as nothing else could have
done, the supreme folly of subjecting
the foreign commerce of this great ma
ton to the hazards of ocean transport
tation under the flags of nations now
engaged In the most gigantic war of all
times. Regardless of these hazards. it
is even greater folly from an economic
point of view, to continue deliberately
the policy of trying to build up a great
foreign trade by leaving to our rivals
the control of the vitally important in
strumentalities of ocean transportation.
SO long as our competitors own the
ships, they make the rates, they con-
troll the service and they determine the
routes. With this power it is easy to
favor their own commerce and dis
criminate against ours.
so long as England commands the
sea- our commerce will not be stopped.
Eut who can fOretell the eventualities
of a great war? 1t is conceivable that
a daring German squadron might get in
commerce in British bottoms. No one
can tell how long the war will last and
every day that it continues our foreign
trade is subject to its vicissitudes and
dangers Is it fair to our producers.
our merchants and our manufacturers
to force such risks upon them? Are we
justified in putting the prosperity of
our country in needless jeopardy"
The secretary pointed out that the
mi > bJr Of Of 40
worlds total steam tonnage-which be-
| fore the war amounted to As, 400, 600
| tons-had operated to increase ocean
| freight rates in unprecedented fashion.
| The lack of American bottoms and the
| fact that neutral ships cannot be de-
pended upon has practically destroyed
the trade of the United States with
some of the belligerent nations in nom
contraband articles. Mr. McAdoo re-
| ferred to the increase in rates and said
that on all commodities it has amount =
| ed to between fifty and three hundred
per cent whether cargoes We're for
English, European or Mediterranean
ports.
These enormous increases" be said
CONSTITUTE heavy tax on the Ameri-
can producer. They are reflected ir
the iessened prices which he has beer
compelled to take for his product. The
| increased cost of carrying American
produce and commodities to European
ports since the war broke out runs into
millions.
"This great sum represents a heavy
toll that has been eXacted by foreign
steamship owners from American ship
pers and producers. 1t is, in effect, {