The Washington times., 1922-10-15
By JO OSEPEIlJS DANIELS
.e (SecretGry o. the Navy IN the WAsoH Cd0tHefD
Our Merchant Marine Headed For the RockSn 1855 American
Ships Carried 77Per Cent Of American Imports and in 1915 They
Carried Only IL Per National Prosperity Is Threatened by
Prohibitve Tariffs and Other Mlderng Policies.

We depended aimost entirely
upon foreign bottoms. Al . con.
sequence foreign traders got the
. foreign business and people over.
seas bought from u only when
they could not set what they
wanted. or . sufficient quantity.
elsewhere.
WORSE AS TO ExF0kTs.
The above figures apply % i'm.
ports. A to our. exports our mis-.
taken policy was Svsn worss. In
1910 American ships. carried t7,so
Of our exports out of every 500.
In 1885 when W sxsrcissd our
equal ownership Of the sea. Arneri.
can ships carried t7s.eo out OF
every 500 worth Of our exports,
In 1910 American ships carried
ss10. 100000 OF our forsisn oorn.
merce or nearly ons-tourth more
over half . century $50 than In
1910. The significance Of the faii.
Ing off In our day b seen when
it 10 recalled that Arnsrican com.
merce Increased from sS<0. .ooo. 900
In 1856 to 5000 .o0 800 In 1910.
To state It more imprsssivsly
and to give greater proof Of our
national folly. W ha4 six times
q much to carry and ws carried
thrsS6oprths 90 much Ia 1910 -
We carried half . century aso In
the days bssors ship construction
concerned Itself with mighty isvia.
thans instead Of small and slow
ships. We had under high tariff
surrendered our Carrying trade
ints the hands Of other nations,
ana thsy naturally took the best
markets and save W the markets
least attractive to them. ,..'.
DEPRYvIN0 Us or MARKETS.
The var restored the presence Of
our naSs. carrying American pod.
ucts to the seven seAs. The stu.
pidity Of Congress sinoe the organ
isatiou Of the sixty.sixth Consysss
In 1919 has cost us much Of that
rebound ocean commerce In Amer.
lean bottoms and has jsopardised
what remains. ~ II the stupidity
Of the sixty-sixth Congress With
relation to our new and great msr-
chant marine was not sufficient to
lessen II. along comes the Sixty
seventh Congress and passes the
highest tariff act IN history, which
10 certain to act disastrousiy on our
American merchant marine.
1--WE shall bs fortunate indeed"
said Thomas W. Lamont, promi.
nent Republican banker. to the
bankers convention. III We do not
find that Il, practice the new tariff
biii protects . lot Of Industries that
do not require protection. and cuts
>off from eur farmers and manu-.
facturers . lot Of foreign markets
that are ready 10 buy our commod.
ities."
In the language. Of the street,
then. Mr.. Lamont "spoks a mouth.
ful." The loss OF markets for
American products strikes a kiil.
ing blow to expansion Of our Amer.
ican merchant marine. II It does not
destroy xhat We already have.
H0T.H0UsE METHOD.
Having taken action that viii de-
prive farmers and manufacturers
Of foreign markets. the so-called
statesmanship at Washington says
Il, substance: I'VE know that the
tariff win lessen foreign markets,
but We win spend seventy.five
miilion dollars Q year to buy some
mafksts."
How? BY giving a bonus to pri-
vats owners Of ships to carry
goods to people from whom we
win not buy. The merchant ma.
rins cannot be restored or main,
tained by such hot.house methods.
After killing foreign trade by the
Furdney. .Mcc cumber tariff you can.
not get It back by filling the pock.
cts Of shipowners. II would be
q subsidy to favorites without any
return 10 American farmers or