536 
COMMERCE YEARBOOK 
built since that time. Of the world’s tonnage of transoceanic 
steamers of over 6,000 gross tons. 61 per cent was built in the past 
10 years. 
Changes in American Shipping. 
The total tonnage of American merchant vessels in 1925 was 125 
per cent above the average for 1910-1914, while the portion in foreign 
trade was nearly nine times greater, rising from about one-eighth 
of the total to almost one-half. However, total tonnage, includ- 
ing that engaged only in coastwise and inland water service, has 
continued the decline begun in 1923, falling to 17,406,000 gross tons 
in 1925. While in 1924 the decrease in total tonnage was shared 
about equally between the ships documented for foreign and those 
documented for coastwise and internal trade, in 1925 it was confined 
to vessels documented for foreign trade, with an increase in both 
Great Lake and coastwise and internal shipping. . 
Table 24 shows the changes in our merchant marine since 1850. 
It is noteworthy that shipping tonnage documented for foreign trade 
had fallen steadily between 1850 and 1910, and was less than one- 
third as great in the last named year as half a century earlier. A 
three-fold increase over the 1910 figure, however, had taken place 
even before the United States entered the World War, in 1917, and 
a considerable increase even up to 1914. 
Table 24.— Merchant Marine of the United States 
Year ended June 30— 
880. wewupnmnnne 4 
EER 
vr 
01 
5% 
Number of vessels 
Total 1 
Sailin 
2, 
ato 1 
Steam 
ge | Total 
24, 71% 
23, 467 
23,333 
or’ man 
ub, 474 
19, 995 
17, 502 
16,280 
11 ORR 
E524 
4,717 
§ 965 
w53 
RO 
3, 535 
354 
4, 247 
4, 068 
i, 424 
5, 165 
7 AOR 
26, 943 
26, 397 
26, 711 
7,513 
’, 183 
“12 
1, 452 
0’ 155 
953 
62 
a 
85,491 
€,242 
‘oe 
ry 
1 a%9 
71 
7% 
7 
Ct 
6, 367 
7.730 
LAs 
Gruss tonnage (thousands) } 
Documented for— 
Sailing, 
ote 1 
Steam 
and gas 
Foreign 
trade 2 
Coast- 
wiseand 
internal 
trada 3 
Great 
Lakes 
2,010 
486 
"171 
856 
7, 565 
” 507 
ang 
526 1,586 
B68 2,546 
1,075 | 1,517 
[212 1 1,353 
1,859 047 
% 658 897 
ane 709 
i, 950 
2,808 
2,730 
2, 715 
3,478 
1,338 
3 Tp 
198 
468 
685 
605 
1, 063 
|, 566 
2? ROA” 
501 
138 
£2 
39 
i 428 
433 
1 
{, 076 
AAG 
“ 
iQ 
3, 852 
3, 425 
» 391 
238 
298 
7,883 
779 
798 
,024 
139 
340 
724 
758 
2,791 
4. RE? 
i Includes canal boats and barges, , 
* Includes tonnage, formerly considerable but recently insignificant, engaged in whale fisheries. 
+ Includes vessels engaged in fisheries (27,000 tons in 1924). 
t Included in preceding column. 
Source: Bureau of Navigation, Department of Commerce.