Evening journal., 1916-03-24
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

used to make us rich, that great body
OF sturdy sailors who used to carry
our flag into every sea, we have al
most driven out Of existence by mex
cusable neglect. IL is high time we
repaired our mistake and resumed our
commercial independence on the seas
The great European conflict has
taught us the vast economic and po-
litical danger that we face because
we lack an American merchant ma
rine. The greatest necessity Of the
American people today is for the
building and owning and sailing OF
sufficient American ships to do our
own carrying trade.
More than a hundred years ago,
when our population was less than
that of the City of New York, we we're
known all over the world as. a mari
time nation, for we had since the
beginning Of the Constitution encour-
aged by legislation the building or
ships.
Way back in 1889 we passed a law
allowing importers a discount of 10
per cent on all goods imported In
America ships, and American ships
meant those that were entirely owned
by Americans.
In the following year we passed an
other act raising duties on all I'M
ports brought into our ports in tor-
eign ships. These two acts gave 10
American shipping interests an ad-
vantage equal to 20 per cent. tarlh
duty, and this legislation so encour-
aged the building of American ships
that by 1910, our vessels were trans
porting 90 per cent of our foreign
commerce. and, in addition TO this,
] they were doing a large business TOT
other nations. Cur shipyards employer
J thousands of mechanics at goOd
wages, and they and the men who sail
ed our ships spent their earnings IN
America, increasing our trade ana
/ prosperity wonderfully.
BY 1858 we were the second, some
say first, maritime nation. 1t Is true
! that the two advantageous laws OF 1883
and 1890 had been repealed by reason
of reciprocity treaties with other ma
| tions. but these laws had so encour-
aged capitalists that we went ahead,
steadily building and sailing American
ships TO every port. People have said
| that the war between the states was
! largely responsible for driving our
ships from the sea- But history tells
! MS that the Confederates sank or de-
stroyed only 1O4,5O5 tons of our ship
ping.
Beginning in the SOS, England had
| perfected the building of iron and
later the building Of steel ships. she
had also developed the wonderful ma
rine engine. Still, in 1860, out OF more
than 100000 tons of American for
eign commerce our ships carried
GIGS 1924 tons, or about 66 per cent
But. in the building Of ships Of iron
and steel England led all the world
We could not compete, with wooden
sbips with the wind for power. Ano
at this time England could buila hel
iron ships at Just about one-halt the
cost that any shipyard in America
could. Congress refused to give any
aid by legislation and American ship
ming engaged in the foreign trade rap
idly declined.
our people have not realized the
enormous financial losses that we
have sustained during the past hfty OF
sixty years because we have allowed
/ lIG AOlEAEn bAAAR AAAN-A'N~
of our carrying trade.
We have paid to foreign ship own
ers more than nine billions OF dollars
for transportating the goods we
bought and the goods we sold. Before
the war we were paying $500 OoO'OO'
a year to foreign ship owners for car
rying our goods. and nearly half as
much more for the passenger, immi'
grant and mail service loss o.
s45O. .OOO. 900 a year in trade, for mos
of this vast sum was expended il
Europe and Asia instead Of America.
And even this vast sum is only
part Of our enormous losses. II hai
been estimated, by those well inform
ed, that during the next twenty year,
there will be expended the vast sun
of $4,000 .OOO.O to build and furnish
ships to take care Of the vast an'
growing commerce OF our people. W.
all know that the finest ships built II
the world are those that sail into New
York harbor. Ships last, on an aver
age, about twenty years, so that eacl
twenty-year period will witness tn
building of an entirely new merchan
marine for all nations that have one
This, then, means an expenditure o
the vast sum OF $75O,O00,000 in SOM
shipyards somewhere, each year TO
the next twenty years, to take care o
our foreign commerce. The question
that ought to sink deep into ever.
Americans brain is this: Shall tha
\ vast sum be expended for labor ant
materials here IN our own shipyards
or shall it be expended in EurOpeal
and Asiatic shipyards?
In the year 1913. and I take tina
year because it was period befor
the war, 81 per cent. Of our foreigl
commerce was carried in ships owne
and controlled by our competitors
During that year American goods -
that is, goods we sold and bought o.
10 the value Of $685.. .330.222 wer
transported in foreign vessels. Ever
nation but ours recognizes the vas
importance Of having ships owned an
manned by its own people, because
keeps great sums at home and extend
foreign trade.
A billion dollars a year thrown int
the channels OF trade would make tn
merchants and manufacturers {
America take notice, wouldn't It?
That is what the establishment {
an American merchant marine in fol
eign trade would do for our people
Under normal conditions there an
less than $4,000 men employed bC
tween Bath, Me-, and Newport New
Va. They receive, with steady en-