The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-04-25
FAVOR REPEALOF
...C0AIs!TW|SELAW VI
. r srt taft - :" - ~
Marine News Says There Is Dis
:. ..quletipg Fear Of Success
Of Such a Bill 4,.

That people Of the Pacific Coast and
of the Gulf States favor admitting
foreign built vessels to the United
States coastwise trade Is the assertion
Of the New York Marine News In the
current issue. The Islands realised the
force Of the prohibition against for
eign-built vessels when II was discov-
cred that the three Dutch built vessels
of the Pacific Mail could not engage
ia trade between Honolulu and San
francisco, even though under the
American flag. iFs
Only Protection Remaining u
The Marine News article is an inter
esting bne to the Islands. II follows
in full: y sE ~
q Foreign built vessels cannot en-
gage in the coasting trade Of the Uni.
ted States. This Is the only feature
Of our navigation laws, designed 10
protect American shipbuilding, which
remains on the statute books. II does
not, of course, affect the American
merchant marine in foreign trade. - h.7
In letter TO Senator Fletcher, of
Florida, Commissioner Of Navigation
ChamberlaiR makes the statement QUOT
ed above. The letter in question il q
detailed recitalaof the gradual elimina.
tion Of all Laws in the least degree
protective Of American shipping in for
eign trade, and in fulfllment Of q
pledge in the Democratic national plat.
form Of 1880, points out Mr.. Chamber
lain, which favored "free ships and o
living chance for American commerce
on the seas and on the land, written
by such an eminent free trader as Col.
Henry WktteTson and such other free
traders Of the recent past AZ David
Wells, w. H. Hurlburt, Senators
Beck of Kentucky, Vest and Coekfell
of Missouri, Lamar of Mississippi, and
President Cleveland, all dead, except
the distinguished editor of the Louis
Vile (Ky.) Courier journal.
Ancient Statute Of 1877
The purpose of Commissioner Cham.
berlainIs letter was to point out that
"our Anticipated navigation laws" so
called, and which vaguely so many PEG
Pile who do not known what they are
talking about recommend the repeal Of,
all have been repealed, except, to be
sure, that ancient statute Of 1917,
which bars foreign vessels from the
cOdSUHR IThu6 OF the UD1Jed 0Jat0S.
When we add that several bills are now
pending in congress for the admission
Of foreign vessels to our coasting trade,
and that this policy is favored alike; by
the people of our Pacific and Gulf
coasts, and that there is a very dis
quieting fear of the success Of some
such measure, the complete triumph
Of free trade in connection with Ameri.
can shipping intefssts seems near at
hand. 54v 49,. b.. 80,
Deny Right TO Sell? i ....,
Contemporaneous with the announce
ment Of the free trade successes point,
ed out by Commissioner Of Navigation
Chamberlain, 5000 gross tons Of for.
eign built vessels have been admitted
to American registry for Foreign trade;
and so fearful is the administration
that the great bulk Of this tonnage will
resume foreign registry at the close of
the European war that IL is advocating,
and congress is likely to enact, a bill
that will allow the federal government
to engage in the merchant shipping
business for both foreign and domestic
carrying, bill, by tho way, that would
deny TO owners Of ships under the
American flag the right to sell them to
aliens without the Governments con
sent. ~ I i'..yF''