The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

14 " | MARINE REVIEW. [December 6, MR. C. B. ORCUTT ON THE SHIPPING BILL. Mr. C. B. Orcutt, president of the Newport News Co., in discussing the shipping bill lately, said: "If the Frye shipping bill shall be enacted into a law at the forth- coming session of congress, as it now seems more than probable it will be, the United States will have begun a policy that will inevitably make them early in the new century the first maritime power in the world. Nearly 100 years ago the first of Democratic presidents declared the four pillars of the prosperity of the republic are agriculture, manufactures, commerce and navigation. That broad statement is as true today as when it was uttered and it will be true through all times, for it defines economic conditions that have their foundation in nature itself. In our progress as a nation--that is, in the legislative measures passed to ad- vance and facilitate our industrial development--we have not given equal fostering care to these diverse interests. - Navigation-has. been neglected and ignored to so ruinous an extent that we are now paying foreign ship owners the enormous sum of $165,000,000 annually to transport for us our exports and imports. To summarize the situation in another form only 9 per cent. of our gigantic foreign trade is carried in bottoms hold- ing 'American registers. A more fatuous policy cannot be imagined. If we had not wisely protected our lake and coast carrying trade we should in it present the same pitiable spectacle that is now manifest in the foreign department. Who are responsible for this disastrous state of affairs? Beyond all question the free trade wing of the old Democratic party. I knew that the change from wooden to"iron vessels, together with the subsequent war of the rebellion, were contributory causes to the dis- appearance of the flag from the ocean, but the evils thereby produced would have been remedied long ago had it not been for the unrelenting political and legislative opposition of the party to which I have referred. Because of their command of the columns of influential newspapers in different parts of the country they have, up to_ within the last three or four years, succeeded in misleading public opinion on this question and casting odium upon all that advocated the remedial measure that would save to our people the enormous drain upon their resources. ' "The majority of the voters of the country at last see through the fallacies of this school of economists and they have taken steps that will result in placing the country in its proper place on the ocean. The bill of Senator Frye does this and the issue having been decided at the ballot box the Republican party in congress should, before the 4th of March, press it to a vote and enact it into a law. Under our radically changed conditions as a nation we cannot be safe or independent until we are in a position to carry on and to protect our foreign commerce. Our own flag must fly over it, not the flag of Great Britain, or France or Germany or Russia or Italy, Sweden, Portugal or our late enemy, Spain. "They must not be permitted any longer to grow rich at our expense. Suppose Europe became involved in a general war, what would become of the surplus products of our farms, factories and mines that we now in constantly increasing volume sell to the old world? We could bring it to the sea coast, and there the great bulk of it would have to remain unless we had ships to take it to its destination. It could not be put into foreign bottoms without paying war insurance rates that would amount to almost confiscation. And Europe is such a volcano at the present time that no one can divine the hour or the day when it may belch forth its fires of destruction. Surely it behooves every man in public life to do all in his power to safeguard the vital interests of the nation in the event of so awful a contingency. "The passage of an adequate shipping bill will stimulate not the ship- ping interest alone, but every other department of industry without a single exception. This may appear to be bordering on exaggeration, but it is absolutely true, and will be 'clear to anyone who stops to give the questions the slightest consideration. For instance, I defy any man to name a single product of a factory or a mine that does not enter into the construction of a modern first-class ship. Scarcely an industry exists that is not called upon for its contribution, either-in the building or equip- ment of one of these giant structures. And what product of the farm is not required on a ship? Nota single one. The ship of today, in fact. draws to itself products of all the activities of man in every branch of industry. Help it and all are helped. Depress it, and all share in the depression. "Look at the question from another point of view--what a vast field the building up of our commercial marine will open up for the young men of the country that are now vainly seeking employment in the crowded ranks of the other industries? Ship yard labor is one of the best paid of all branches of industry. It embraces scores of skilled trades. that, unlike many other occupations, possess the immense advantage of being independent of the weather conditions for their pursuit. The states- manship that closes its eyes to this fact is hopelessly blind. "But the time for debate on the restoration of our commercial marine has passed. The subject has been discussed to tatters and the hour for action has come. We must take our foreign carrying trade, as much of it as possible, out of the hands of foreign: nations, that, friends today, may be enemies tomorrow. To do so is essential to our prosperity in peace and to our safety in war. We cannot be said to be truly inde- pendent until we have won back our place on the ocean," ADMIRAL RODGERS GOES TO THE ASIATIC STATION, The action of the navy department in selecting Rear Admiral Freder- ick Rodgers for duty on the Asiatic station is based on the decision of the administration to conduct a joint military and naval campaign of the most active character in the Philippines. With Admiral Rodgers there will be three officers of flag rank in Asiatic waters. Admiral Remey will be, as heretofore, the senior officer, with the rank of commander-in-chiet of the station. The intention of the department is to have one of these three flag officers act as an administrator ashore, while each of the others will command a division of the fleet. It is probable that Admiral Remey will establish shore headquarters at Cavite and from there direct the operations of the divisions under Admirals Rodgers and Kempff. One of these divisions is likely to be sent to China, while the other will have charge of the larger division to cooperate with the army in the Philip- pines. Admiral Remey has earned the reputation of a splendid adminis- trator, His work as commandant of the Key West naval base in the war with Spain was complimented highly iby the navy department, AADC PRS AT BE ARS ETH SO TI EMT Soserennen reer Sm ner DEATH OF REAR ADMIRAL MecNAIR. Rear Admiral McNair died suddenly of apoplexy at Washington last week. He had recently been detached from the superintendence of the naval academy at Annapolis and was on waiting orders. Admiral Mc- Nair was the senior rear admiral of the navy, being ranked only by Ad- miral Dewey. He would have reached the retiring age, 62 years, on Jan. 18, 1901. If the grade of admiral had not been revived for Dewey's benefit, Admiral McNair would have stood at the head of the list. His last sea command was on the Asiatic station, and he consented to be detached from it before his tour of duty had expired to give his friend Dewey a chance to fly his flag. Dewey assumed command of the Asiatic squad- ron in January, 1898, and within five months had won the notable victory of Manila bay, which might have been McNair's. Admiral McNair had said frequently recently that he believed he would not reach the retiring age. His health has been very poor for many months. After his return from the Asiatic station he was on waiting orders for a short time, and on July 15, 1898, was appointed superintendent of the naval academy. Soon after he entered upon his duties at Annapolis Admiral Cervera and the officers of the Spanish squadron destroyed off Santiago were sent to Annapolis as prisoners of war, and Admiral McNair was charged with their care. He treated them more as guests than as prisoners, and Cer- vera and the other Spanish officers have taken occasion to express their appreciation of his uniform courtesy and kindness. Admiral McNair's health has been failing for a year or more. Last spring he was detached from the superintendency of the academy on account of sickness and has been on waiting orders since. His death will cause the promotion of Capt. Mortimer L. Johnson to the grade of rear admiral. Admiral McNair was born in Pennsylvania and appointed to the naval academy from that state Sept. 21, 1853. In 1859 he was assigned to the steam frigate Minnesota of the East India squadron. Early in the civil war he went to the steam sloop Iroquois of the west gulf squad- ron and participated in the bombardment of Forts Jackson and St. Philip and Chalmette batteries, the engagements at Grand gulf, the passage, both ways, of the Vicksburg batteries, and the destruction of the confeder- ate ram Arkansas. He served also in the war on the steam sloops Juni- ata and Seminole with the South Atlantic blockading squadron and par- ticipated in both attacks on Fort Fisher. He ranked as lieutenant and lieutenant commander in the war period. His first command was the Kearsarge, which sunk the Alabama, serving on her from 1875 to 1878. PRESIDENT McKINLEY ON THE MERCHANT MARINE. President McKinley in his message to congress makes the following recommendation for the upbuilding of the American merchant marine: "American vessels during the past three years have carried about 9 per cent. of our exports and imports. Foreign ships should carry the least, not the greatest part of American trade. The remarkable growth of our steel industries, the progress of ship building for the domestic trade, and our steadily maintained expenditures for the navy have created an opportunity to place the United States in the first rank of commercial maritime powers. Besides realizing a proper national aspiration, this will mean the establishment and healthy growth along our coasts of a dis- tinctive national industry,'expanding the field for the profitable employ- ment of labor and capital. It will increase the transportation facilities and reduce freight charges on the vast volume of products brought from the interior to the seaboard for export, and will strengthen an arm of the national defense upon which the founders of the government and their successors have relied. 'In again urging immediate action by the con- gress on measures to promote American shipping and foreign trades direct attention to the recommendations on the subject in previous mes- sages, and particularly to the opinion expressed in the message of 1899: 'I am satisfied the judgment of the country favors the policy of aid to our merchant marine, which will broaden our commerce and markets and upbuild our sea-carrying capacity for the products of agriculture and manufacture, which, with the increase of our navy, mean more work and wages to our countrymen, as well as a safeguard to American interests in every part of the world." RAIL AND WATER ROUTE FROM DULUTH TO QUEBEC. A Quebec dispatch,.says that the rail and water route of the Great Northern railroad 'between Duluth and Quebec has been completed and the first grain train was.run over it this week. The grain was shipped from Duluth and consigned to Liverpool. The projectors of the Great Northern assert that their line shortens the distance for shippers between those two points by 802 miles. The grain is carried by water to Parry sound, thence over the tracks of the Canada Atlantic to its junction with the Great Northern, by which line it is carried to the elevators at Quebec. James McNaught of McNaught & Redding, 35 Nassau street, New York, who is the chief promoter of the enterprise, says the new line is as- sured of a Prosperous future. He asserts that the local business alone oi the Great Northern in the Province of Quebec will more than pay the expenses and fixed charges of the line. The road runs through a well- populated and highly productive farming country in the province which has heretofore been greatly hampered by the lack of facilities for moving crops to the large markets. 7 Ee BIDS SOLICITED FOR THREE PROTECTED CRUISERS. The navy department this week advertised for proposals for con- structing by contract three protected cruisers. The bids will be received at the department until 12 o'clock noon, Friday, Feb. 1, 1901, when they will be publicly opened. » A circular defining the chief characteristics of the vessels has been pre ared for distribution among bidders. Forms of proposal and contract will be furnished after Dec. 15. The department nish vessels of less than 9,700 tons tri ae eee on trial, or having a bunker capacity of less than 1,500 tons of coal. 1€ vessels are to be completed within thirty-six months, a ; Tie Pacific Coast Co., according to its president, J. G. Farrell, who is at present in New York, is contemplating the building of seyeral new steamships. It operates at present twenty-two steamships,