South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-03-25

"Our Merchant Marine" and Mill
tarism and Peace" were the two
topics 20 which Mrs. Anthony French
Merrill OF Chicago devoted the
major portion or her lecture Friday
afternoon at the Oliver hotel when
she met for the second time this
season with her class. composed Of
some a. women. Though she open
ed her talk with an interesting re-
view OF important fiction OF the year,
her sketch OF current events proved
yet more interesting.
In leading up TO her presentation
OF the remarkable growth Of ship
building and the shipping industry
I'm the United States in the past year
as the result or the European war,
she explained the conditions which
led 20 the gradual decay Of the in
dustry in this country until, in 1901.
not a single ship was turned out by
American builders. Until the day OF
the iron ship IL was cheaper 10 build
ships IN America than N foreign
countries, and this fact, combined
with the profession afforded by the
government, raised the American
merchant marine TO a superior place
on tho seas and 80 per cent OF all
the imports brought 20 this country
and SO per cent OF the exports sent
TO other countries were carried in
American ships.
In 1850, however, we were obliged
20 use the merchant vessels as naval
ships" Mrs Merrill pointed out.
"All commerce stopped and trade
was paralyzed. BY the time the
country had revived the irOnclads
had come into their own and II was
cheaper to build ships abroad. Many
American merchants. therefore. went
abroad, built their ships and sailed
under foreign flags because OF the
American registry laws. At this
time, too. capitalists began putting
their money in the new industries
that were springing up all over tho
country. American seamen, too, de-
manded higher pay than foreign sea-
men and were unwilling 20 endure
the hardships of life at sea as com
pared with the life Of the average
workingman on land.
The coming on OF the war, how
ever. had a SINGULAR effect upon our
shipping Il stopped practically all
foreign carrying trade. There was
a dearth OF commerce and supplies
IN south America and that CONT
nent turned 10 US. The trade would
have come 30 Us even faster If we
had had sufficient ships. Orders be-
gan 10 flow into ship yards, freight
rates went up and we beheld the
unfortunate spectacle Of ship yards
eoOded with orders that could not
be filled One hundred forty-eight
merchant ships have been built since
August TO meet the conditions OF
the war. Whatever the government
might have done TO build up our
merchant marine would now appear
dwarfed beside what private capital
is doing"
In speaking on the subject Of
"Militarism and Peace" Mrs. Merrill
pointeC out how easily we might
drift into the extreme. a few years
ago in this country we should have
laughed at the idea OF CONSUMPTION.
yet today we are seriously facing the
question. Back Of 'militarism' is the
idea OF extending the cOuntrys power
by force. While no nation might
intend that It should. militarism
might develop into much more than
a system Of defense. IL too easily
may become a mode Of attack, too.
After all. is power built on army
force successful? Those who would
answer yes argue that a country in
a state OF preparedness may become
so Understandable that no country
so irresistible that To country
would think OF attacking her on
the other hand. a large army arouses
the antagonism Of other countries