OCEAN MAIL SERVICE.
have means of transportation controlled in the interest of the expansion of our trade.
A bill of this character has once passed the House and more than once passed the
Senate, and I hope that at this session a bill framed on the same lines and with the
same purposes may become a law.
STRONGLY INDORSED.
This bill has been strongly recommended for the past five years by
Postmaster-General Cortelyou, Postmaster-General Meyer, and Postmaster-General
Hitchcock, extracts from whose annual reports on the
subject are printed in Appendix B, together with Postmaster-General
Hitchcock's special report on this measure in Appendix A.
The bill has been strongly recommended in the interests of American
sommerce for the past seven years by Secretaries of Commerce and
Labor Cortelyou, Metcalf, Straus, and Nagel, extracts from whose reports
on the subject are printed in Appendix C.
Admiral Dewey, president of the general board, Navy Department,
in a report upon this subject has said:
The general board considers that, from a military standpoint, a bill which would
ancourage the building of large fast vessels suitable as auxiliary cruisers, scouts, and
squadron colliers would be of great advantage as assuring to the Navy Department
means of obtaining necessary auxiliaries in time of war important as affecting the
yperations of the fighting fleet.
The Army War College in a report upon mail steamships as transports
in war has said:
It appears that now, and for the immediate future, the force for which our military
establishment is maintained can not be exerted over sea. The quick first blow, so
very and increasingly important, can not be struck at all, nor can an expedition of
any greater size be embarked without delay, except by the use of foreign vessels.
This condition can not improve until the American steam seagoing merchant marine
has increased in tonnage to approximately two and one-half times its present volume
by the addition of ships adapted in size and design to quick conversion into suitable
transports and built under conditions which make their voluntary surrender to the
United States on demand ga foregone conclusion.
OPPOSED BY EUROPEAN SHIP MONOPOLISTS.
No valid reason against this legislation has ever been advanced from
any quarter, but aggressive opposition has come from foreign steamship
trusts and combinations.” On the other hand, the legislation has
been earnestly asked for by American manufacturers and merchants
interested in the export trade, who suffer from the arbitrary and
oppressive methods of these European ship monopolists. The
National Board of Trade, the National Association of Manufacturers,
the American Bankers’ Association, the American Cotton Manufacturers’
Association, and the boards of trade and chambers of commerce
of most of the chief cities of the United States by formal resolution
have demanded the creation of regular American lines of mail
steamers to South America and the countries beyond the Pacific
cean.
NOT NOVEL LEGISLATION.
The bill is an amendment to the ocean mail act of 1891, which act
s fad in Apnoadix E, and involves no new or strange legislative
policy for the United States. The wisdom of the act of 1891 has
never been seriously challenged in Congress. That act has established
and maintained excellent lines of American mail steamships to
Europe, the West Indies, Mexico, and the nearer ports of South
America. But because of inadequate compensation, as clearly shown
