The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1916-03-20
WE CAN CONE BACK

: WE CAN COME BACK
OST inspiring to Americans VIII
AVA take pride in their country
achievements is the article on "Th
Yankee Clippers" by William Brawl
Meloney In the Saturday Evenin,
, Post 1t Is a story Of a time whel
; the American flag was seen in ever,
port, when American clipper ship.
contested with the British and wor
the prize for fast sailing on long
voyages and when the United States
held the title of mistress of the
seas" in peace. As early as 1889 q
vessel flying the American fiag ap.
peared at Calcutta. In the war of
1912 the amount Of British COM
merce destroyed by American priv
ateers was $9.400,000. only $4,000
less than that which the British cap
tured. In the course Of the next two
decades the percentage Of American
commerce carried in American bot
toms rose to 90. Between 1880 and
1886 the American merchant marine
increased IL 3-4 per cent a year, the
British only IN per cent
The most glorious days Of the
American clipper ship were the two
decades Immediately preceding the
Civil War. When new designs by
John Willis Griniths were adopted,
American ships outsailed everything
afoat. College men educated In the
classics and knowing French and
Spanish became commanders of ships
as a step to becoming owners and
merchants. The foundations of pres
ent day fortunes were thus laid, es.
pecially in the boom days of the gold
rush to California and Australia. The
Sovereign Of the Seas. which made a |
record voyage from Honolulu to New
York and which outsailed the Cunard
steamship Canada across the Atlantic.
netted her owner. Donald Mckay,
100000 in eleven months. On a |
voyage from Boston to Liverpool the |
Lightning made a run Of 436 miles
In twenty-four hours. an average Of
IL 1-6 knots an hour. which was not
exceeded by an ocean steamship until
1889. The James Baines In 1S54-5
sailed around the world in 1872 days,
making record which no sailing ship
has excelled.
When the Civil War broke out the
total American tonnage was $780,.
l75. compared with 5,71O,96s for
the entire British empire. and our
ships were carrying 70 per cent of
our exports and IS per cent Of our
Imports. But the days of the clipper
ship were numbered. It had already
10 contend with the adverse influence
'f asinine statesmanship. Now be-
gan hopeless contest with steam
and with iron and steel ships. Eos.
'ilized naval officers reported to con-
gress against steamships and our
merchants were slow to adopt them.
Dur resources Of steel and engine
building were relatively undeveloped.
While Britain was supreme in both
aspects. During the Civil War we
ost our lead. and the proportion of
'ur commerce carried in American
'ottoms steadily decreased, until in /,
's1S 1t was a beggarly SO per cent.
Can we regain our lost maritime
upremacy? We certainly can. Ev. y
ry factor other than legislative =
'hich was against US in 1860 Is now
our favor. In 1913 our production
I pig iron. the raw material Of steel.
as S0.966.152 tons. against 19,0o4. v
20 for Germany and 10.4s1.s17 tons o
Dr. Great Britain and our total IL u
Ill growing. We lead the world In o
eel construction and engine build u
'g and can easily turn our skill in q
lose directions to shipbuilding. The u y
ar has given us an opportunity to u
axe good start In this neglected a.
dustry. for 1t has eliminated the 81
Terence against US in cost Of pro- n'
'ction and has temporarily boosted
eishts to point where our higher
st OF operation is immaterial.
The immediate future for shipping ol
at the strong foothold which the D.
lited States u now gaining In the dc
ipping business may be maintained tSe
q that we may continue to gain, be
need no government Investment wi
ships. a. is proposed by the ad- ho
nistration. We need only to revise w
= shipping laws In such manner sts
It after the war We shall be able hil
compete with other nations on hrl
ial terms. The conditions under IS
ich our shipping business d now tin
'eloping are mainly abnormal and
'porary. That We may hold and est
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