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November, 1909 "THE MarRINE. REVIEW Shipping League of Baltimore. FORMAL organization of the Shipping League of Baltimore, which was projected on Oct. 13 at a dinner given 'by Bernard N. Baker, at the Maryland eiub, was ..effected. on Oct 14-48 a meeting of the executive com- mittee in the Equitable building, Baltimore. Composing the commit- tee are Mr. Baker, president of the league, Robert Ramsey, vice pres- ident, and Messrs. T. H. Bowles, Nor- man James, Waldo Newcomer, B. H. Griswold Jr. and Lynn R. Meekins. The sum of $15,000 was subscribed at Mr. Baker's dinner to carry on the work of the league. "With 50 original members en- rolled,' said Mr. Baker, "we already have 50 names of persons who are anxious to join, while we are also fully provided with money. We shall not solicit either members or cash, but shall place the organization on such a plane that persons will esteem it an honor to be on its rolls. "Briefly stated, we ate going. to take a foremost position in whatever is done to build up American ship- ping, with the support of the ad- ministration at Washington. The main thing is to arouse every mem- ber of Congress in the South to the importance of developing the ports of the South." Declaration of Principles. The declaration of principles of the Shipping League of Baltimore treads as follows: "The Shipping League of Baltimore is organized to discover, investigate and utilize the opportunities for this port that may be found in the build- ing of the Panama Canal, the open- ing of South America, the progress of the far East, the development of ocean commerce and any legislation of the American Congress pertaining to the same. "We are stimulated by the thought that less than a thundred yeats ago, and for many years after, Baltimore stood first in the fortunes of the seas and much of her wealth was founded upon the great work of her fleets. The influence upon the city 'was of incalculable benefit. In the 20 years' teign of the Baltimore clipper ship the population of Baltimore increased 240 per cent and its wealth more than 300 per cent. "With the coming 20 years the field will be vastly widened. Our secre- tary of state has recently placed be- fore us the facts of South America. In the statistics of growth in travel and 'trade, particularly between the Latin-American countries. and our own, he shows that iravel increased 50 per cent during the preceding year, our Latin-American trade en- larged from $261,000,000 in 1897 to ~ $596,000,000 in 1907, or 128 per cent, and our exports to Latin-America from $76,000,000 in 1897 to $256,000,- 000 in 1907, or 237 per cent. Balti- more realized none of this increase; in fact, lost. "Ought to Have More Trade." "But evep with this the share of the United States in the South Amer- ican trade is only 13.8 per cent, while the vast bulk goes to England, Ger- many and Japan. We have only 8 per cent of the trade of China, where we ought to have 40 per cent, and our Chinese exports are only 9 per cent. "Increases of 128 per cent and 237 per cent in South America are mag- nificent, but they fall short of the possible, and even in these figures we find that Baltimore is not securing any part... It is easily calculable that Baltimore, with the Panama 'Canal completed, may enjoy a South Amer- ican commerce worth many millions a year. Moreover, the northern Pac- ific coast and its wonderful cities mean millions more for Baltimore's trade. "Draw lines and one will find that Baltimore is 1,000 miles nearer than London and 1,300 miles nearer 'than Hamburg to the South American trade, particularly to the west coast, 469 by way of the Panama Canal, and yet these two ports are getting tens of millions of dollars' worth of this trade, while Baltimore has only a few hundred thousands. "Today six lines of railway are being 'built across South America. They mean new ibusiness of the larg- est value--business that Baltimore may reach. "Our expectation is that Congress will pass a bill for the encourage- ment of the building up of our mer- chant marine at its coming session. We are now paying $300,000,000 a year to England and Germany for carrying our commerce. The diver- ston of any considerable part of this sum to the United States will mean work for all our shipyards and larger prosperity for all our harbors. Balti-. more knew its liveliest age when its ships swept all the seas. Baltimore will know another great advance when it profits by the new conditions -that will follow a real merchant ma- . rine and the completion of the Pan- ama Canal. "The Shipping League has at pres- ent no financial: plan' to promote. Its purpose is to find out and suggest the best way for Baltimore to take advantage of the great world develop- ment that is now reaching such gigantic proportions and which is bringing an entire change in the rela- tions of nations, ports and men. "Whth her new docks, her new channel, her nearness to the North and West, her unequaled position as a distributing point and her many natural facilities, we believe that no port on the Atlantic coast offers so many possibilities as does Baltimore, and it is to realize these that the Shipping League begins its work." Merchant Marine League of San Francisco. T a dinner given in honor of John A. Penton, secre- tary of the Merchant Marine League of the United States, at the Fairmount hotel, San Francisco, Nov. 1, the Merchant Marine League of San Francisco was formed. About 200 men representative of the mercan- tile and commercial life of San Fran- cisco were present. Governor Gillett of California acted as toastmaster. With him at the speakers' table were Sena- tor George C. Perkins, Henry T. Scott, John P. Irish, R. P. Schwerin, George Knight, M. H. de Young, Congressman E. A. Hayes, Col. George Pippy, George W. Dickie, Harrie Weinstock and John A. Penton. Speeches were made by Senator Perkins, Mr. Irish, Mr. Schwer- in, Mr. Weinstock, Mr. Dickie, Mr. 'Scott, Mr. Penton making the closing address. At the close of Mr. Penton's address Capt. Hibbard proposed that the Mer- chant Marine League of San Francisco be formed and his motion was unani- mously carried. The chair then ap- pointed Capt. Hibbard, W. S. Webster, W. J. Dutton, John S. Rothchild and John F. Fraser as a committee to form a plan of organization. Later in the evening the committee submitted a form of constitution and a list of of- ficers who were elected by a rising vote