Enemies of Ocean Commerce [pp. 78-81]

OVERLAND MONTHLY
trade dropped from 3,067 in number in 1868
to 1,193 in 1896, and from 2,496,894 tons
capacity in 1861 to 829,933 tons in 1896,
our exports and imports combined show the
following growth:
UNITED STATES IMPORTS AND EXPORTS.
Yea
1844,
1847,
I$5I,
I857,
I S603,
IS65,
IS70,
:573,
I179,
I sSo,
I8S,S I,
I82.
1SS3,
IS87,
I 890,
I892,
1 93,
IS94,
I 895,
Total In Amer. In Foreign Per Cent
Exports & Impts Vessels Vessels Caried
by Sea in Amer.
,-r~~~~~~~ ~Vessels
$ 219,635,o0Sr
300,6IS,652
434,612,943
723,85o,8S23
584,92S,502
604,412,996
99i,896,SS9
1,313,029,243
I,183,284,924
I,42,612,011
1,4I9,589,453
1,440,20,5I14
1,495,927,424
1,3./9,55 1,254
I,573,567,, S30
1,656,540,SI 2
1, 7,94,762,543
i,626,o082,o075
1,465,290,672
1,456 403,38,
172,625,202
213,346, i6i
316,107,232
5Io0,331,027
241,872,471
167,402,872
352,969,401
346,306,592
272,015,692
258,346,577
250,586,470
227,229,745
240,420,500
I94,356,746
202,45 I,o56
206,459,725
220,I73,735
I97,765,507
195,268,216
1,0,507,I96
$ 17,009,579
S7,272,491I
118,505,71 I
213,519,796
343,056,03I
437,oo010,124
638,927,488
966,722,65I
9I I,269,232
1,224,265,434
1,269,00oo2,983
1,212,978,769
1,258,506,924
I,i65,194,508
1,371,II6,744
1,450,08o I,o087
1,564,585,80oS
1,428,3 I6,568
1,273,022,456
1,285,896, I92
78.6
70.9
72.7
70.5
41.4
27.7
25.6
26.4
23.
17.4
i6 5
I5.S
i6.
'4.3
12.9
12.5
I2.3
12.2
'3.3
I1.7
Observe that from 1844 to and including
1857 American vessels carried from two to
three times as much of our exports and
imports as foreign vessels, and from seventy
and a half to seventy-eight and a half per
cent of the whole, but that since the latter
date the proportions have so far reversed
that for the last fifteen years foreign vessels carried each year about a thousand
million dollars worth more than the American vessels, and in 1895 carried eighty-nine
and three-tenths per cent of the total exports and imports, or nearly eight times as
much as our American vessels. A few
moments' calculation will suffice to figure out
how long it will be under this system of
progress antil American vessels carry nothing in our foreign trade, and all of our
freight money will go across the seas, as the
bulk of it does now. "What fools these
mortals be!"
Again, our entire merchant marine as
compared with that of Great Britain, makes
this exhibit as per statistics furnished by
our national Commissioner of Navigation in
1896:
America.
1840..................2,180 764 tons
1850..................3,535,454
1860..................5,353,868
Great Britain.
2,768,262 tons
3,565,133"
4,658,687. "
America
1870................. 4,246,507 tons
1875..................4,853,732 "
1880..................4,068,034 "
1885..................4,265,934 "
1890..................4,424,497 "
1893..................4,825,071 "
Great Britain.
5,690,789 tons
6,152,467
6,574,513"
7,430,045"
7,978,538"
8,778,503"
As heretofore shown, the bulk of the
American tonnage is engaged in trading
among the States; that is, in 1893 there
were 3,854,693 tons thus occupied out of a
total of 4,825,071 tons, while the great
majority of British tonnage was and is used
in foreign trade. So that the ever increasing disparity is particularly noticeable when
viewed in the light of competition. It will
be observed that the above table shows that
in 1860 the total American merchant marine
tonnage exceeded that of Great Britain by
about seven hundred thousand tons, while
the latter nation is nearly four million tons
ahead in 1893 on total tonnage, and probably eight million tons in the lead in the
over-the-ocean commerce. But a still later
authority, Lloyd's Register for 1896-97,
gives the number and tonnage of vessels
over one hundred tons of the two nations
as follows: Great Britain 11,329 vessels of
13,359,026 tons; United States 3,215 vessels, 2,234,725 tons. We pay to foreign
shipowners approximately three hundred
million dollars each year for freights and
passage money that should go to our own
people. This is a drain that only a nation
of inexhaustible resources could withstand.
Were it not for our laws prohibiting foreign
vessels from engaging in coastwise trade, it
is safe to say that the total tonnage of
American vessels afloat today would not be
more than one third or one quarter what it
is, and might be still less.
What better demonstration can be given
of the efficacy of helpful legislation? Commerce has for centuries been assisted by
governments either by subsidies, bounties,
tax exemptions, discriminating duties, or
prohibitive laws, and the fear of retaliation
on the part of other countries has not prevented far-sighted statesmen from adopting
measures that would build up and strengthen
this bulwark of national prosperity, power,
and greatness. Importers of foreign goods
were ndt and are not permitted by these
patriotic and wise statesmen to dictate legislation that shall favor the laborer and manufacturer and the ship-owner of foreign coun
so