New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-23

for carving our goods. and nearly hah
S. much more Cor the passenger lmm'-
grant and mail service-a loss OF s45O,OOOVOV
vesr in trade. for most Of this vast sum
was expended in Europe and Asia instead o.
America.
And even this vast sum is only part OF
our enormous losses. Il has been estimated
bv those well informed. that during the next
twenty wears there will be expended the vas'
sum Of $4,000. 100000 20 build and FURNISH
Sims 20 take care Of the vast and growing
commerce Of our people. We al know 'ha'
the finest ships built in ali the world are
those that sail into New York harbor ShlpS
Last on an average. about twenty years, so
that each twenty-year period Will witness the
building Of an entirely new merchant marine
for all nations that have one. This, then,
means an expenditure OF the vast sum Of
$3.50. 100000 in some shpyards somewhere
each wear for the next twenty years. to take
care Of our foreign commerce. The question
that ought to sink deep into every American 5
brain is this: Shall that vast sum be OK
nended for labor and materials here IN our
oun shipyards. or shall it be expended IN
European and Asistic shpyards
In the wear 1918, and take that year be-
cause il was a period before the war ~ per
cent Of our foreign commerce was carried III
sbins owned and controlled By our eompeu-
tors. During that year American goods ina.
Is goods We sold and bought 20 the value o.
q 6q5 33O.222 we're transported IN forelgh
,essols Every nation but ours recognizes
tho vast importance Of having ships owned
and manned by its own people. because IL
Icons great sums at home and extends Tor
eign trade. ., ;.,o .bo
4 billion dollars a year thrown into INC
channels Of trade would make the merchants
and manufacturers of America take notice
wouldn't it?
That ia what the establishment OF an
American merchant marine in foreign trade
would do for our people. Under norman con-
ditions there are less than o0,0O0 men eh',
Moved between Bath, Me, and newport
News. Va. They receive, with STEADY EN-
ployment about sllOO a year Tor eac"
worker.
We should have to employ 100000 men
in our shipvards machine shops, etc, II we
we're to do all the building and repairing fol-
the ships that carried the foreign commerce
Of this country for the coming twenty years
This would mean an expenditure OF more
than 800. 5000 year for labor and ma.
,erisls. food. etc. and this vast sum added
TO the 5000 900 We now pay 70 foreigners
n freight our goods TO the markets OF the
world. would. under right conditions, be eH
pended in this country.
Would il not be wise for this government
to spend billion dollars during the mex
twenty years and save twenty billions?
Every nation on earth but ours that Is
engaged in shipping goods from its own ports
into the markets of the world has encour
aged the merchant marine by the expenditure
Of huge sums. either in direct subsidy OF
by some indirect method that means the
same thing. But our people have beer
frightened at the word subsidy. Long agf
we passed a law giving monopoly OF th'
shipping industry along our seacoasts u
Americans. This has worked 70 the tire
mendous advantage of all our people. We
have to-day the largest coastwise tonnage
in all the world. nearly three million tons
upon the Great Lakes alone. And this busl-
ness. which is American in every sense. Is
the most exclusive and satisfactory business
performed by labor and capital for the Ameri-
can people The sailors who man our coast
wise ships are, under normal conditions, the