Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 95, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 July 1904 — The American Merchant Marine. [ARTICLE]

The American Merchant Marine.

The registered tonnage of the Amerioan fleet of deep sea commerce wes 14 years ago 108,000 tons larger than it is today. Our deep eea tonnage today is not tnssixteentb that of Great Britain and less than a third that of Geiminy. These figures show that there is a necessity for the revival of our merchant marine. The United S'ates has developed the most marvelous foreign commerce of any nation in the world. We are sending into other lands nearly five million dollars’ woith of Amerioan products and commodities every day, but it is a significant fact that Amerioan ships carry less than nine per cent of our exports and imports. The tribute paid to foreign ships for conveying merchandise to and from the United States amounted to over one hundred millionjdollars last year. Our country is foremost in nearly all lines of industrial and commercial development, but it is lagging behind even the smaller foreign nations in its merchant marine. The patriotic pride and the commercial instinct of our people suggest the improvement of our fleet commensurate with our commercial needs.—Norwich (Conn.) ‘‘Bulletin.” And the only practicable and effective means for such an improvement, is that found in the ship subsidy bill that has been before congress for several years past but which too many Republican c ingressmen have been too much tinctured with free trade to be willing to vote for.