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12 THE GEORGIAN’S'NEWS BRIEFS It’s Nearly Christmas How to Restore Our Merchant Marine By Lewis Nixon O UR merchant marine, once adequate, efficient and prosperous, now languishes. Many proposals have been made by political parties for its rehabil itation. Usually they have not been en acted into law, and even when weak attempts are made the tre mendous foreign influence acting upon public opinion here secures j their nullification by executive • action. Thus under the Dingley I act and the Underwood act we I have such nullification by the ! Board of General Appraisers in ! the one case and by an opinion of the Attorney General in the other. If one has given a lifetime to i the study of a problem and has ! formed definite opinions based | upon facts, such a one would be lacking in public spirit if he did | not speak out without mincing i words in regard to a subject so | vital to the present and future of ! his country. Hence, in the five j articles to follow this I shall en deavor to explain how we built up a merchant marine, how- it was destroyed and how measures looking to its revival are cir cumvented. * • * Means foul and unfair have been used against us. Perhaps agreeing with Madame de Stael that “patriotism of nations ought to be selfish,” we need not blame foreign statesmen who do what they can^to grasp at a greater share of ocean carriage at our expense. But when we find so- called statesmen here at home voting and working against our marine it is time tha* the search light of public interest be turned pitilessly in their direction. Ambition should not be achiev ed through the hauling down of V our flag on the ocean, and men who inspire legislation hurtful to their country under the guise of efforts in behalf of badly-treated elements of our citizens should be made to prove their case, and such proof does not lie in reciting from the pages of blood and thun der novels details of ill-treat ment only to be found in the fertile imagination of a Jack London. Up to the time we began work on the Panama Canal the influ ence of foreign nations upon our legislation was sufficient to block all really helpful measures. Now, however, the foreigner has an ally. Need we look very, far to find the interests that wish to discourage American ship owning that through the preference given in canal dues may carry by water much that has heretofore been carried by land. We shall review the attacks on the canal bill, the insincere and - misleading interpretation given the Hay-Pauncefote treaty by those knowing better, the forcing of a free ship provision into such bill, the opnosition to the 5 per cent discrimination in the Under wood bill, the vicious and hurtful LaFollette bill, Senate Bill No. 136, and even the new measure ment rules for tonnage When a measure is helpful we find our public men speaking with bated breath of some musty treaty as something too sacred to be brought to light, but whose imagined provisions. Grand Lama like, must be regarded. However, when legislation hurtful to the American marine—or had we not better say destructive—is pro posed, ample votes are ready to approve it, even though it vio late treaty and convention. • * • Our Congressmen represent our people, and if they are what they should be they should have the courage of their convictions. If men believe that the flying of the American flag afloat should be discouraged, let them say openly that it is better the railroads should carry certain merchandise than ships. The Democratic party is pledged to constitutional regu lation of commerce, and in my next article I shall explain what appears to me to be the meaning of such regulation, and why Con gress is in duty bound to enact it, regardless of party. My proudest legacy to hand down to my son is that I have built and launched over one hun dred vessels for use in war and commerce. But for over six years I have built no vessels. While my being interested in shipbuild ing, that master craft which, draws upon every calling, pro fession and trade, should in no way detract from the strength of fair discussion, in which I have never avoided any issue. * * • I wish to say that as I am build ing no vessels now, there is in what I write or say only a pa triotic sense of duty in presenting the lessons of a lifetime as best I can. I feel tnat a certain meas ure of public service should be given by every one, and I have been afforded unusual opportuni ties to study this problem at home and abroad and enjoyed the inti mate friendship of such men as William H. Webb, John Roach, Charles H. Cramp and W. W. Bates. Senator Frye came up to me at the end of a talk I had been giv ing and strongly indorsed all I had said, adding: “Years ago I was just as enthusiastic as you, but my efforts seemed to make about as much impression against the always vigilant opposition as putting my finger into the water and pulling it out would make upon the ocean.” Yet Senator Frye tried to fol low that platform declaration of his party, and he tried to amend tariff bills to give us real dis crimination in favor of American ships and was voted down. * * * Some day we may find out w hy the Elkins bill, which aimed to carry out constitutional regula tion of commerce as pledged in the plitform upon which Mr. Me- Kinlev was elected, was with drawn and a subsidy bill put in its place, although in the Repub lican platform of 1880 the fifth resolution said: “Further subsi dies to private persons or cor porations must cease.” J here was a reason; perhaps we may hit the trail. We must bring out, so that it may be appreciated, evidence of the steady, relentless war urged against every effort to revive our marine—we must expose the character of such arguments as are insicere or deliberately mis leading. When a statesman takes stands that seem hurtful to the general welfare, we must challenge them so that he must justify or aban don his position. Vague references to so-called antiquated laws must be mad© definite. U e must show that our marine, .called into being by constructive statesmen, preserved our political and commercial independence, how wise law r s were suspended and what the country lost by such suspension. * * * We must show that our marine may be rehabilitated by means fair to the rest of the world at the same time fully realizing that, so great is our depression, such means must be drastic and com pelling. If we expect to find a way to re gain our foreign transportation (and we can only regain it at someone else’s expense) in a way that shall please those who must relinquish, w e shall simply live in hope. io uie moderation ; justice of others we are to 1 for fair and equal acces to m ket with our productions, or our due share .n tile transpoi tion of them, but to our c means of independence and firm will to use them.” raffiSLYSIS BFtJ