xxxviii INTRODUCTORY PROCEEDINGS. 



try needed all available capital and still needs more for interior development, so shipbuilding 

 has been abandoned by capital for the more profitable railroad building and manufacturing. 

 All manufactures have been protected, and that protection made the cost of all labor and 

 materials used in the building of ships much greater than the cost abroad. 



Our agriculturists, so many of whom are far from sight of the sea, cared nothing for 

 American ships. They have been content to allow foreigners to carry their goods until the 

 foreigners have gotten so far ahead that they will be difficult to overtake in the race. Our 

 standards of living have been raised for everybody, but particularly for those who work for 

 daily or monthly wages. Mechanics of all classes have received great increases in wages. 



These changes in fifty years have combined to cause neglect of an American merchant 

 marine. 



A change in our laws, removing some restrictions and regulations, would put the oper- 

 ation of our steamships on the same level as those of foreigners ; but the political tendencies 

 of recent years, the evident disposition of legislators to enact class legislation like that of the 

 LaFollette Seamen's Bill, will surely add to the cost of operating vessels already too expensive 

 to compete with foreigners and makes such a change improbable. The free ship proposition 

 so boldly advocated has proven an absolute failure. Not one ship came under our flag under 

 that proposition, until, as I have previously pointed out, the ninety-seven were driven by the 

 European war to come under its protection. All other suggestions have been from time to 

 time defeated or tabled by Congress, and for this no one political party can be held responsible. 



Now the fact remains, regardless of those who hold to the contrary, that British su- 

 premacy was started and has been upheld by subsidies while the United States was busy in 

 other directions and supinely allowed our commerce to be taken over by them and others. 

 The British Government has given an example of this by loaning to the Cunard S. S. Com- 

 pany at two per cent interest per annum sufficient money to build the Lusitania and Maure- 

 tania to hold the supremacy of the passenger trade, and to provide vessels for their naval 

 reser\'e. Germany in twenty-five years has made an enormous advance in her merchant ma- 

 rine. That she would do less to accomplish this result than Great Britain is unbelievable. 

 Japan furnishes another distinguished example of what can be done by a government for its 

 merchant marine. 



We must have a merchant marine. We need hardly revert to the well-known instances 

 of our deficiency. Our admirable navy, to be compared to the great navies of the world, must 

 have ships to serve as auxiliaries, as tenders and transports, and as schools for mariners. 



Imagine if you can the United Kingdom's situation during the past few months were 

 she not provided with ample ships most skilfully handled ; and what would be even now the 

 condition of our own agriculturists and manufacturers were it not for the ships of other na- 

 tions, mostly British. 



Our agriculturists and manufacturers must have ships to carry their products to foreign 

 markets, ships under the American flag, for it is truly said that "Trade follows the Flag!" 



Why not follow the example of other nations? We cannot grant subsidies, that word 

 is so objectionable, but we may grant direct aid, based on service, on increased cost of oper- 

 ation due to the high standards set by our own people ; the carrying of mails or the need of 

 a naval reserve by the loan of large sums at low rate of interest ; by preferential or differen- 

 tial duties ; by a combination of these reasons or without any of them, but solely for the broader 

 and better reason that our country needs a merchant marine, not any particular section or class 

 but the whole country and all classes north and south, east and west. 



