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20 DEVOTED TO EVERYTHING AND EVERY INTEREST CONNECTED OR_ ASSO- CIATED WITH MARINE MATTERS ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. Published every Thursday by The Penton Publishing Co. - CLEVELAND. BOSTON sos sec cseccsee 73-74 Journal Bldg. BUFFALO..... Wess doses as ies 932 Ellicott Sq. CHICAGO. sich. .2 0 oe. 51328 Monadnock. Blk. CINCINNATI.......First National Bank Bldg. NEW YORK..;.........1005 West Street Bldg. PITTSBURG... 002s e veces. .510 Park Bldg. BIA LILLE. vce es se es +.,.002. Pioneer Bide. Correspondence on Marine Engineering, Ship Building and Shipping Subjects Solicited. Subscription, U. S. and Mexico, $3.00 per annum. Canada, $4.00. Foreign, $4.50. Subscribers can have addresses changed at will. Change of advertising copy must reach this office on Thursday preceding date of publication, The Cleveland News Co. will supply the trade with the Marine Review through the regular channels of the American ' News Co. European Agents, The International News Company, Breams Building, Chancery Lane, London, E. C., England. Entered at the Post Office at Cleveland, Ohio, as Second Class Matter. February 25, 1909. A SHAMEFUL THING. Stockholders of the Boston Steamship Co. this morning voted unanimously to liquidate. The company's $530,000 of 5 per cent bonds have been retired at par, as have .also the $921,000 notes, leaving only minor current expenses still to be paid. The stockholders will get nothing in liquidation. The failure was the result of inability to compete with the Japanese and the Canadian Pacific lines which get subsidies from the Japanese and the Canadian governments. The daily papers of February 15 carried the above news item. How much longer will evidence of this sort have to accumulate before the federal government comes 'to the rescue? How many more houses have got to tumble about our ears before we can see the The made a gallant fight to establish itself point? Boston Steamship Co. wpion 'the Pacific ocean. It gave orders for five steamships at a time when it seemed certain that congress would ex- tend sufficient aid to shipping to over- come the handicap imposed upon the the wage scale that it thas to pay, as well American fleet through higher as the subsidies of other countries that it has to combat. These ships were built by the Maryland Steel Co., Spar- THe Marine REVIEW - row's Point, Md., and are among the most admirable specimens of marine architecture afloat. They were to the Pacific in great faith. The roseate promises, however, were not forthcoming. The ships were operated steadily at a loss. The stockholders continued to meet the deficit until their funds were exhausted. They have lost everything, .even the value of their stock. The vessels have been. with- drawn from the trade and sold. No other nation under heaven would per- mit such a thing as this to happen. It isn't a square deal. Major General = J. Franklin Bell, chief of staff, U. S. A., addressing the members of the National Guard Association of the State of New York, declared that in his judgment: the prospects of war in the future are greater than they have been ,in the past. 1. am. 10 glutton for war,' said the general, "but if war must come I want to see my country as well prepared as it is possible to be." General Bell discussed the lack of military policy in the United States and the need of preparation for war. "I hope our country may: never be involved in trouble," he said, but added that it was gratifying to know that preparations were being made. "We are proud of our fleet,' he continued, "proud that it has circled the globe. Stuil, if that fleet had started from Hampton Roads in time of war it would have been very difficult if not impossible to transfer itself to the Pacific." Lack of coal stations, colliers and other difficulties, would have been encountered, he said, which would have made this voyage almost impossible. There is a total lack of preparedness for war. This nation no longer enjoys the splendid isolation of the past. It should be prepared for every emer- gency and no one can tell when war will break out. No sane person would have predicted a war with Spain and yet it came with remarkable swiftness. Insignificant as that war was, it was a long time before transports could be Had it any. considerable secured to move the troops. been a war with power, involving much cruising, the in doubt. Certainly we are not in position to outcome might have 'been carry On any over-sea movements and will not be until we have a merchant marine as an auxiliary to the navy. No other nation takes the chances that the - United States does. Great Britain does not 'hesitate for a minute to spend enormous sums of money to maintain an adequatte naval reserve. The Maure- tania and Lusitania, the two most mag- nificent steamships in the world, were built with funds loaned by the British government and tare in every sense of the word auxiliary cruisers, faster than anything afloat and capable of haras- sent sing an enemy to the fast. degree These are the kind of ships that the United States should have. It is q short sighted policy that it hasn't them. WILL WIRELESS BE COMPUL. SORY? The result of the prominent part played by wireless telegraphy in the Republic-Florida collision thas already begun to take significant form, as a bill was introduced in the house of repre- sentatives on Jan. 26 by James F, Burke, of Pennsylvania, providing that all vessels carrying 50 or more pas- engers and going on journeys of 500 miles or more, must be fitted with wireless apparatus, clearance to be re- fused to such vessels as fail to com- ply with the law. The bill provides that foreign vessels not equipped with wireless Shall be refused admission to American ports. Steamship men in general are in favor of such legislation, as they have long recognized the great value of the setvice to them, as well as to the The greatest difficul- ty to be overcome now seems to be traveling public. the establishment of some agreement whereby the three wireless services, viz., government, Marconi and United Wireless, can be made to work in unison, instead of, as is now the case, refusing to accept each other's mess- ages except in cases of distressed ves- The Atlantic liners use the Mar- the nies providing 'board and lodging to sels. coni system, steamship compa- the operators in exchange for the use of the system for company 'business and the Marconi company is left to make what profit it can out of private messages. In the winter, when few first cabin passengers are crossing, it is plain that the company will do a small business. The Marconi company now wants the steamship companies to pay it $1,000 a year in addition, for each installation aboard ship, and it is thought that the steamship lines will offer small objection to this if the system can be made universal. Cer- tainly the wreck of the Republic has brought the necessity of wireless equipment on passenger ships acutely to mind. Had it not been for the wireless the loss of life might have been appalling.