334 OUR HERITAGE THE SEA 



matter. What is wanted is an awakening of the public 

 opinion to its importance, and this cannot be done by 

 spasmodic outbursts in the press, a flare-up for a few 

 days, and then a going to sleep again for months, as 

 has hitherto been the case. However, I gratefully 

 admit that there have been signs of late of an awaken- 

 ing on the part of the press to a sense of the respon- 

 sibilities in this matter which gives promise of better 

 things to come. I feel sure that the heart of the 

 people is sound enough, and that if only we could be 

 made to understand that this question of our sea- 

 supremacy is as vital to us as is the issue of a great 

 war, nay, that there is a great war being waged merci- 

 lessly upon our chief interest by foreign nations, with 

 the never-fading hope of getting the upper hand, we 

 should soon see what is most earnestly to be desired, 

 the great mercantile marine of our country placed 

 upon a national footing, lifted into its proper position 

 in the eyes of all men as the one thing which concerns 

 every one of us, and in the maintenance of which, at 

 the highest possible pitch of efficiency, no effort, 

 national or individual, should be neglected. 



But perhaps it may be as well to leave this side of 

 the question for a little while and say just a word or 

 two upon the commercial aspects of shipping, which 

 to most of us are a sealed book. The day of the 

 individual shipowner, who could do as he liked 

 with his ships, and who in many cases was like a 

 father of a very large family, is nearly, if not quite, 

 gone. Shipowning is now almost entirely in the 

 hand of limited companies of varying degrees of 

 stability, from such gigantic affairs as the Peninsular 

 and Oriental, with their mighty fleet constantly being 



