The Republican journal., 1915-02-11
Our Merchant Marine.
Its Glorious Past and its Humiliation and
Destruction.

Its Glorious Past and its Humiliation and
Destruction.
To THE EDITOR OF The JOURNAL: 1t was
with peculiar satisfaction that went down to
Faneuil Hall today and added my voice to the
ringing endorsement of the resolutions protest.
ing against the passage of the Ship Purchase
Bill. felt that I was discharging sacred
duty toward generation of as fine type of
American manhood and citizenship as this
country ever produced. A generation OF Maine
sea captains and sailors who exuited In the
standing of our merchant marine in its heyday
OF the early fiftjes, and who lived to witness
the nadir of its decline. stunned with the awak-
ening consciousness that they had been be-
trayed by the very interests that owed so much
to their courage and enterprise. took that final
voyage from whence there is no return-liter-
ally dying of broken hearts midst the wreck
age of family fortunes and blasted hopes.
The stately square-rigger, yesterday emble-
matte of the best in this country's history,
today sborn of all distinction and condemned
to an inglorious service as coal barge-thus
SioseB lne maj cnapCef IN tDe nlstOEy Oh our
once proud merchant marine.
When my grandfathers settled on the banks
of the Penobscot they found, in its deep and
sheltered coves and in the adjacent forests
primeval, natures own challenge to their ingen-
uity. Tney accepted that challenge and gave
to the infant nation merchant marine that
was destined to carry its flag, with honor to
the country and profit TO its merchants, to
every ocean,
In 1872 the sons of these pioneers, not to be
intimidated into relinquishing the comma i'd
ing position in the worlds commerce so hardly
won by their fathers, armed their merchant
vessels at their own expense. perpetuated the
commercial supremacy of their country. and
paved the way for the period which was to see
the most wonderful burst of development in
the history of our deep-sea shipping industry
the inspiring days of the clipper ship.
1t was in the days of the clipper ship that
the hills of my native town resounded with the
clang of a contented and prosperous industry.
Then it was that my grandfather ran his ship
yard and built the ships that his sons sailed in
successful competition for the overseas ship
ping trade. 1t was not uncommon in those
days for vessel to pay for herself in one
round trip to the West Indies. or to Liverpool,
the continent, ,and back to the States.
All these things were accomplished, not
without sacrifice and heartaches. The calling
was one of danger and hazard, and there was
hardly family the coast of Maine from
ifs foil
ing my own immediate family. But it was a
mans game! Those courageous and self-re-
liant New England sea captains of the fifties
never felt SO sure of themselves as when they
felt the heave of the decks beneath their feet
and pitted their skill against the forces of ma
ture.
And what of the mothers, sisters and wives;
all the agonies of suspense--a suspense some
times broken by joyful reunion. not infre-
quently perpetuated in permanent uncertain
ty as to the actual fate of their loved ones?
We can never adequately honor those who,
by their steadfast faith loyalty, and self sacri-
ments that played an important part in placing
the United States on the pinnacle of honorable
success in the field of international eadeavor
Alas. the day arrived when the New England
sea captain aggressive, self-reliant, never
in the face of dangers that he could
meet in the open--the humiliating day arrived
when this typical product of most important
and picturesque industry realized that he was
being hested in a struggle with an unseen and
subtle force with which his experience did not
fit him to cope and which he failed to identify
until too late.
And then? Need l tell 1.-THE story of shat
tered dreams; of broken family fortunes; of
deserted ship yards; yes, of sordid poverty.d due
to inevitable economic readjustments and the
fact that the very nature of their sea- going
experience untitled men, still in their physical
and mental prime, for work ashore.
Senator Perkins of Californian his younger
days identified with the New England shipping
industry and later shipowner in his adopted
State--e epitomized the situation in his address
to the Senate on January Both, when he de-
else by national laws in the last sixty years
but we have neglected our maritime industry.
and we are facing today in the crisis of this
war the natural results of our national short
The best omen of better things in store for
our all but extinct foreign shipping business
is found in the fact that at last our brothers of
the Western States. denied adequate means
for delivering their valuable wheat crop to
starving Europe, are willing to recognize the
building of ocean-plying ships as an industry
of value even to farmers
However. the proposal that our Government
take flying jump from policy of utter neg
lect to policy involving Government..owner-
ship of an industry that has never asked for
more than an equality of opportunity with
other lines of industry, is nothing short of
ridiculous.
Again quoting Senator Perkins: "Govern.
ment control. Government ownership Of our
merchant marine. means a paralysis of indi-
vidual effort. destruction Of personal ambi-
tiOn and an indefinite a nostnonement of the day