New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-23
TO the Editor Of The Tribune.

10 the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: The President in his message 20 Con-
gress said:
"The great merchant feet once used 70
make US rich, that great body Of sturdy sailors
who used to carry our flag into every sea, we
have almost driven out OF existence by mex
cusable neglect. II is high time we repaired
our mistake and resumed our commercial m
dependence on The seas"
The great European conflict has taught US
the vast economic and political danger that
we face because we lack an American mer-
chant marine. The greatest necessity o. the
American people to-day Is for the building
and owning and sailing OF sufficient Amer
lean ships 20 do our own carrying trade.
More than hundred years ago. when our
population was less than that Of the City Of
New York, we were known all over the world
as maritime nation, for We had since the
beginning Of the Constitution encouraged by
legislation the building Of ships.
Way back in 1859 We passed a law allow
! ing importers discount OF 10 per cent on
all goods imported in American ships, and
D
tirely owned by Americans
In the following year we passed another
act raising duties on all imports brought into
our ports in foreign ships. These two acts
gave to American shipping interests az ad-
vantage equal to 20 per cent tariff duty. and
this legislation so encouraged the building
Of American ships that by 1910 our vessels
were Transporting 90 per cent Of our foreign
commerce. and. in addition 10 this. they were
doing a large business for other nations.
Our shipyards employed thousands of me-
chanics at good wages, and they and the men
who sailed our ships spent their earnings in
America increasing our trade and prosperity
wonderfully.
By 1853 we we're the second, some say the
/ first, maritime nation. 1t is true that the
two advantageous laws OF 1859 and 1890 had
been repealed by reason Of reciprocity
treaties with other nations, but these laws
had so encouraged capitalists that We went
ahead steadily building and sailing American
ships to every port. People have said that
the war between tho states was largely re-
sponsibe for driving our ships from the sea.
But history tells US that the Confederates
sank or destroyed only 10i,505 tons of our
shipping.
fected the building Of iron and later the
building OF steel ships. She had also devel-
oped the wonderful marine engine. Still, in
1860. out Of more than 100000 tons Of
American foreign commerce our ships carried
6.1G5.924 tons, or about Sc per cent. But, in
the building of ships Of iron and steel Eng
land led all the world. We could not COM
pete, with wooden ships with the wind for
power And at this time England could build
her iron ships at just about one-half the cost
that any shipyard in America could. Con-
gress refused to give any aid by legislation
and American shipping engaged in the for
egn trade rapidly declined.
our people have not realized the enormous
financial losses that we have sustained dur
ING the past fifty or sixty years because We
have allowed the foreign ship master to do
the most OF our carrying trade.
We have paid TO foreign ship owners more
than nine billions Of dollars for Transporting
the goods we bought and the goods We
sold Before the war we were paying
$500 100000 year TO foreign ship owners