14 REPORT OF AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINE COMMISSION.
The maritime policies of the foreign nations may be thus summarized:

Great Britain pays generous mail subsidies to her chief steamship
lines, admiralty subsidies to her fastest vessels, and retainer bounties
to many thousands of her seamen.
Germany bestows liberal mail subsidies upon several steamship lines,
especially those of recent development, and encourages her shipyards
by hauling material at nominal cost on the State railways—in effect a
bounty to shipbuilding. German shipyards are further aided by the
requirement that mail steamers of the Imperial lines shall be constructed
 in Germany by German workmen. Moreover, the State
railways grant preferential rates to goods intended for export by the
Imperial lines—in effect a bounty on navigation. It is stated by
British steamship managers that the passage through Germany of emigrants
 from other countries bound overseas is obstructed in every
possible way unless they hold tickets by German steamers. Finally,
the German Government, or individuals composing it, are understood
to be interested in the great German shipyards and steamship companies,
 so that there is virtually a close partnership between these
enterprises and the Empire, and the German people regard their merchant
 marine with the same intense patriotic devotion as their navy.
France gives mail subventions to her great steamship lines, construction
 bounties to her shipyards, and navigation bounties to all
French shipping, steam or sail, engaged in overseas commerce.
Italy grants mail subventions, construction bounties, and navigation
bounties to all her ocean vessels, steam or sail. .
Austria-Hungary gives construction bounties, and mail and navigation
 subsidies to her ocean fleet.
Holland grants subventions to her colonial mail service.
Spain grants subventions and other privileges to her ocean mail
lines.
Russia bestows encouragement through subsidy on a part of her
merchant shipping, this going chiefly to one concern, the so-called
“volunteer fleet,” really controlled by the government.
Denmark gives modest mail subsidies to her few lines, including a
West India service.
Sweden grants mail subsidies, and in addition lends government
money to shipowners to aid them to buy new vessels and enter ocean
trade.
Norway gives direct bounties to encourage native shipbuilding and
also grants mail subsidies, which have checked the growth of British
shipping in certain trades of north Europe.
Japan has a most comprehensive system of national aid to shipping—bounties
 to shipyards, subsidies to mail lines, bounties upon
navigation. Japan’s ocean fleet has increased more rapidly of late
years than any other shipping in the world.
China, at present, gives very little help to her maritime interests,
to the encouragement of her shipyards and steam lines, or to the
development of seamen. Her policy of laissez faire in overseas navigation
 bears the closest resemblance to that of the U nited States, and
is naturally attended with the same consequences. Chinese ocean tonnage
 is inconsiderable. According to the Bureau Veritas, it is less
than 60.000 tons. steam and sail both included.