Year: 1859

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THE FAILURE OF THE UNITED STATES EXPLAINED.


The London Times of May 10Th has the following
remarks in answer to the question why the United
States fail to compete with Great Britain and the
Hanseatc Towns in the maintenance of ocean
steamers


At present there are three new lines of steam
navigation which have been opened in addition to
those already at work between Europe and North
America. There is a Galway line and Bremen
line, and line is announced which is to connect
Quebec with Glasgow. Vessels have been added
to the line between Quebec and Liverpool, and the
Cunard line is obliged to employ subsidiary feet
to assist its mail steamers. There are As steam
vessels running between Europe and North Amer
lea, 30 of which belong to Great Britain, to the
Hanse Towns, and to the United States of which
hve only two ply during the winter. If we look at the
tonnage the case, according to our contemporary is
equally strong. Of the Transatlantic Steam Fleet,
England owns 81 900 tons, the Hanse Towns, 20 900
tons. and the United States u 000 Nor is this all
The business still enjoyed by American steamships
is that between New York and Havre, but plan is
IN agitation by which the English line will call at
Queenstown, and thus be able to dispatch branch
steamer to Havre-a competition against which our
contemporary apprehends the American steamships
Will be unable to struggle. If we add to this pic
ture that England has 1000 steamships in her for
elgn mercantile and postal service, and America
only seven, we have put the last touch to picture
which not unnaturally raises the Indignation and
the regret OF an American journalist Jealous of the
honor OF ms country and anxious that she should





Startling these results are it will probably be
asy to account for them without making too large
demands upon the sef-lOve and national pride of
our gallant rivals the water They can hard
ly expect US to grant, indeed, that they came out
victorious from a competition in which they have
been so manifestly overcome; but We on the other
hand must not forget that the contest between the
Cunard and Collins lines was to some extent
question OF subsidies. The value of subsidy to a
Steam Navigation Company depends not only on
Its amount, but its permanency and in this re-
spec we believe that England has felt the ADVANTAGE
oil the greater stability and higher character of the
popular branch of our legislature. The Thames
has not been disgraced, like the Potomac, by the
presence OF the steamers of rival companies
"openedn-to use an election phrase-to members
OF the House OF Commons, in order to secure
their support; and, whatever motives NAV have
induced the renewal of the Cunard grant, cham
pagne luncheOns on board the Persia or the Arabia
had not, at any rate, anything to do with it.
Inc subsidies may be given or refused in England,
Dut mere, at least, there ''lobbyers to lew
blackmail upon the applicant 1t must he admitted
that those who have to seek subsidies under such n
system compete at a very great DISADVANTAGE
mere was, besides, great difference in the man
agement OF the two rival lines. The Cunard Com
pany has always avoided auring novelties and re-
lying solely on the safe teachings of experience
has uniformly sacrificed show to substance and
speed 10 safety. They have gradually increased the
size and power of their ships, but in each case
only so much as experience showed to be adyan-
tageous. Their officers have been many wears in
the service are thoroughly acquainted with their
duties, and their crews have uniformly shown in
great emergencies that confidence in each other
that discipline and courage, which such system
cannot fail to produce. The commanders and their
officers are selected entirely with reference to their
merit. On the other hand, the Americans in build
ing their ships thought quite much of what was
snowy and ornamental as what was solid and useful
Before the time of the Persia they WERE we believe
II anything, superior in speed to the Cunard line
ana their commanders were excellent seamen; but
the crews were on Y engaged for the voyage and
have shown, on more than one trying occasion the
want of discipline and devotion to the service
winch such a practice, unavoidable probably in an
American port could not fail to produce The
result was what might have been expected The
American ships were abandoned by Americans
themselves, who showed an undisguised preference
for the Cuna" line Nor was this difficult to ac-
count for. While it is the honorable boast of the
Cunarders that in more than twenty years inces-
SAINT navigation, always at high rate of speed on
the most tempeStuous course, they have never lost
a passenger, and only one ship-the Columbia.
sucked by some unaccOuntable current into the
Bay of Fundy,-the Collins line had to lament MANY
severe losses, which shook the confidence of the
public and lowered the character of the under
taking.


Much of this mischief undoubtedly arose from
causes within the rsach of prevention; but it is
only falr to admit that there are many others at
Whlch America should not repine because they
necessarily spring from her prosperity and pro-
gress. with an average rate of profit so much
higher than our it is not wonderful that
American capitalists, with means of wealth at their
own doors in such profuson, should be unwilling
to engage in remote and hazardous enterprises like
those OF ocean steam navigation, and that if they
do so they should compete at a disadvantage witt
countries in which capital has been accumulating
for centuries. In such an enterprise everything
depends on the excellence of the captains and The
crews. 1t is part of the happiness of America
as the working mans paradise, that labor should
be more highly paid and more difficult to retain
than in England. Ifit be true, as we believe it is
that the great public works which have anticipated
Dy centuries the settlement of the American CONT
nent have been made by Irish labor and English
gold, 1t is not likely that America should perma
nentiy compete with in enterprises the very es
sence OF which is cheap capital and cheap labor Let
America be satisfied with the boundless riches she
possesses and not repine because it is not granted
to her to reap at the same moment the advantage:
which spring from two opposed states of social and
economical development.