16 REPORT OF AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINE COMMISSION.

prompt and energetic. Delay only increases the cost and intensifies
the difficulty of Be undertaking.
It may be said without exaggeration that there is not a large ocean
shipyard in America, and not an ocean steamship company, except the
Few mail lines operating under the act of 1891, that is not looking to
instant and vigorous remedial legislation by Congress as the one hope
of its continued existence. Within a few weeks an important shipyard,
 on the Delaware River, after a long and brave fight against
adversity, has succumbed and gone into the hands of receivers. This
yard has a splendid modern plant, zealous and capable managers, and
the prestige of an active career of half a century. The American
Government and people may well ask themselves this grave question:
Where in a few years can they find solvent shipyards to contract with
to build their battle ships and cruisers unless the complete paralysis
fog threatening this great industry is speedilv arrested by national
aws?
If the passage of the legislation proposed by the Commission is postponed
 to the next session of Congress a condition already desperate
will have become still more desperate. The time to act is now. The
Commission has prepared a conservative measure, aiming to achieve
its purpose at a minimum cost, fair to all sections and interests, and
directed especially to the strengthening of the national defense and
the extension of American commerce to new and distant markets.
The Commission can see no reason why a cautious measure of this
kind, making no large immediate draft upon the national revenues.
~an not be passed at the present session of Congress.
With all possible emphasis, therefore, the Commission recommends
that the following bills which will be reported from the Commission
and introduced into the two Houses of Congress, be taken up promptly,
and after reasonable debate advanced to enactment.

A BILL To promote the national defense, to create a force of naval volunteers, to
establish American ocean mail lines to foreign markets. to promote commerce, and
to provide revenue from tonnage.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the
Navy and the Secretary of Commerce and Labor shall cause to be made
an enrollment of officers and men now and hereafter employed in the
merchant marine and deep-sea fisheries of the United States who may
be capable of rendering service as naval volunteers in time of war.
No man shall be thus enrolled who is not a citizen of the United States
or who has not declared his intention to become a citizen. Any naval
volunteer who, having declared his intention to become a citizen,
fails to complete his naturalization according to the provisions of
title thirty of the Revised Statutes, shall be stricken from the rolls.
These naval volunteers shall be enrolled for a period of three years,
during which period they shall be subject to render service on
call of the President in time of war. They shall also possess such
qualifications, receive such instruction, and be subject to such regulations
 as the Secretary of the Navy may prescribe. The Secretary
of the Treasury is hereby authorized and directed, upon proper
audit, to pay, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise