DEVELOPMENT OF A MERCHANT MARINE AND COMMERCE. 225 



actuated not only by patriotism, but also by local esprit, to remove such port, through 

 tile united effort of all of its interests, from the undesirable "less than SO per cent" 

 class. At present, while we are all in sympathy with, and even enthusiastic over the idea 

 of having a merchant marine that will carry the greater part of our foreign commerce, very 

 few of us are taking any steps to accomplish that end, and it is doubtful whether the com- 

 mercial interests at any individual port or any persons residing thereat, at present know or 

 care particularly what proportion of that port's foreign commerce is being carried in Ameri- 

 can bottoms; and if our national policy in this matter is to succeed, the responsibility for 

 mailing it a success must be shared in an important degree by each one of our ports, and 

 they must each be made to feel the necessity of doing their part. The feeling of indiffer- 

 ence at our ports that permits, without restraint by effective competition, foreign lines to riui 

 to and fro between the United States and countries other than the country whose flag the 

 foreign steamship line flies, should be made to disappear through the increased activities of 

 the port authorities, backed by an aroused public sentiment, at each port where that condi- 

 tion exists ; and the feeling of satisfaction and even complacency over the establishment of 

 new steamship lines that call at our ports, regardless of their nationality, should continue 

 only in those cases where new lines fly the American flag. 



Similarly, each port must cultivate closer relations with the shippers that use it, with the 

 view of arousing their interest and securing their assistance in matters pertaining not only to 

 the port but also to our merchant marine. Each port should determine from careful inves- 

 tigation the boundaries of the hinterland from which its business is derived, and a feeling 

 should be inculcated in all communities in that region of their responsibility for the welfare 

 of their port and of our merchant marine. 



It would seem appropriate also that the Government should give each year, through the 

 U. S. Shipping Board or other agency, fitting recognition to the port that attains during the 

 year the highest percentage as regards gross tonnage of American vessels engaged in foreign 

 commerce, using that port, compared with the total tonnage of both American and foreign 

 vessels that used it. Such recognition might appropriately take the form of the presenta- 

 tion, with proper ceremonies, of a suitably inscribed certificate, describing and extolling the 

 port's accomplishments; and if the President should see fit to be present to make the presen- 

 tation on behalf of the nation on the first of these occasions, and to inspect the port with 

 members of his Cabinet, it would focus the attention of the entire country on the importance 

 of rendering assistance to our merchant marine in every way as a patriotic duty and would 

 spur the efforts of other ports to make the highest percentage the following year. 



The fact that much more than half of our government-owned merchant marine is un- 

 employed at the present time is a reason strong enough to justify almost any step under- 

 taken for its relief. Our important ports are not only the gateways of our sea-borne com- 

 merce but are also populous cities, having many interests other than those intimately con- 

 nected with overseas commerce, and in some cases there is serious conflict between the muni- 

 cipal interests and those of the port as an outlet for our foreign commerce. The interests of 

 the port, being those of the territory that uses it and partaking of a national character, are 

 of greater importance than and should have preference over the interests of the munici- 

 pality; but this is not likely always to be the case if the municipality owns or controls the 

 port facilities, as it does at many of our ports. These municipal interests, including the 

 furnishing of food supplies, materials and goods required for the support of its population 

 and its industrial establishments, may be termed the local or industrial interests as distin- 



