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March, 1910 with Central and South America would increase rapidly with the restoration of the American merchant marine. He said that a change of the political com- plexion of the Gulf states of the South would have a most salutary influence upon their growth and _ development. This was regarded as the key-note of his address, and coming from a Demo- crat of unquestioned principles and a state office holder and an appointee of a Democratic governor, it was consid- ered the strongest possible argument for non-partisanship in the treatment of the great issue. As the first speaker of the first after- President Trufant duced Hon. James T. McCleary, form- noon session, intro- erly a member of Congress from Min- nesota and later second assistant post- master general of the United States in charge of the foreign mailing depart- ment of our government. Mr. McCleary made a forceful address, explaining in detail the Humphrey bill. His discourse was of the utmost value, being deliv- ered by a man of valuable experience in the handling of ocean mails. The distinguished Minnesotan told how his interest in the question had first been aroused, and said that, while he had always been in favor of the creation of an American merchant marine from pat- riotic motives, he was more than ever convinced of the justice of his faith when he found that American mails had to be carried in foreign bottoms because there were no American ships jin which to carry them. Congressman Andrew J. Barchfeld, of Pittsburg, made a stirring and eloquent address upon the necessity of a mer- chant marine from a patriotic and com- mercial standpoint. He devoted considera- able time to the demonstration of the effect of the disappearance of American Ships from the Pacific ocean on our trade with Honolulu, Australia and New Zealand by calling attention to the re- tirement of the three handsome ships of the Oceanic line. These, the speaker said, while in the trade and carrying the American mails to the ports of the countries named built up our commerce from about $12,000,000 per annum to more than $28,000,000. In less than five years after they were forced from the trade the commerce had shrunk to less than 12,000,000. Mr. Barchfeld said that the Japs had transformed the Pacific ocean into a Japanese lake and_ that in case of war with Japan that country could land 200,000 men in our Pacific coast states before the United States could prepare one-tenth that number for battle in the far east. He asserted boldly that our magnificent navy has been turned into a joke because there were no auxiliaries in the shape of col- 'TAE Marine. REVIEW liers, despatch boats, troop ships and scouts. Hon.. James J. Elwell, manager of "American Industries' and the orator assigned by the National Association of Manufacturers for its campaign of edu- cation along shipping lines, was the next speaker. He treated the subject from the view- point of the American manufacturer and told how it was that the national manu- facturers' association came to realize that their best purposes were subserved 1 the restoration of the American flag to the high seas. He detailed in a flow of eloquence betokening his southern birth how the manufacturers learned after years of hard knocks that in or- der to get fair treatment in the ship- ment of their goods it was necessary to have American ships in which to ship them to foreign ports. He gave instances of mistreatment of shipments and utter disregard of shippers' instruc- tions by foreign ship captains and showed that American goods had often been transferred from ship to ship and taken hundreds, even thousands of miles out of their route in order to harrass the American manufacturer and cause him to lose the sale of goods. He said that Germany was the great commercial r:val of the American manufacturer and that German merchants and bankers use every means to dissuade foreign buyers from taking American: goods. He cited an instance of a traveling salesman who had sold $10,000 worth of shoes to a Brazilian retail dealer, but lost the order because the town was controlled by Ger- man bankers who refused to extend the accommodations necessary to make the trade. The order therefore went to the German, who shipped inferior goods to the buyer. Mr. Elwell's remarks were interrupted at intervals by the applause of the audience as he drove home a strong point in his oratory. The last speaker was Captain Thomas J. Woodward, a veteran sea captain, of New Orleans, who had in the year 1885 been the first president of the American Shipping League, the first organization effected to aid the American merchant marine. Capt. Woodward's address was largely reminiscent and dealt with the old days of the American clipper ships. He said that when he went to sea the American flag was seen on the Pacific ocean more than any other. American ships lined the docks of every European port and were to be seen in every clime and on every sea. They were the finest in the world in point of speed, work- manship and the character of the offic- ers and. men; in fact, they were the envy of every nation. His discourse was interesting to a degree. The following resolutions were ad- opted: 119 WHEREAS, there is an universal de- mand on the part of the people of the United States of America for the res- toration of the American merchant ma- rine; and, WHEREAS, on March 3, 1891, there - was passed by the Congress of the United States, an act authorizing the pestmaster general to contract with ves- sels built in American shipyards, under the supervision of the navy department, aud in harmony with navy specifications, and owned and operated by Americans, to. carry the American mails and pay therefor, the sum of not more than $4.00 per outgoing mile, said ships to. be not less than 8,000 tons capacity, and of not less than 20 knots speed; and, WHEREAS, said law, which has now been in successful operation from New © York, Boston and Philadelphia for near- ly 20 years, and to which is directly attributable the operation of the few ocean vessels at present flying the Amer- ican flag in the foreign trade on the Atlantic ocean, has been entirely re- stricted to the "short" routes to Mexico, Cuba, Europe, etc, owing to the fact that the greater rate of compensation intended for the "long" routes to South America, China, Australia and the Phil- ippines, and which was incorporated in the original bill, was stricken therefrom by the house of representatives, when sid act was passed; and, WHEREAS, the Humphrey. bill, which has recently been reported favorably by the house committee, provided, among other things, that compensation not ex- ceeding $4.00 per mile on routes of 4,000 miles and over, be paid to 5,000-ton vessels of 16 knots speed, built and operated under the government require- ments mentioned, thus making possible the operating of said long routes; and, WHEREAS, said Humphrey bill further provides that the total expense to be incurred in transporting said foreign mail, shall not exceed the revenues de- rived therefrom; and, WHEREAS, the said bill also includes a "free ship" provision as a concession to the opinion that a large number of: the American people entertain, that this method. will remedy existing conditions and likewise includes a differential ton- nage tax, also believed by some to be an effective remedy for the up-building - of our merchant marine, and the "free ship" feature is such as safe-guards the mail ships and coast-wise service; and, WHEREAS, the Humphrey bill thus treats respectfully and recognizes the various opinions of our people as to the best way of accomplishing the result which all desire, and offers an oppor- tunity for testing all the methods that have been proposed for this purpose, to the end that, through experience, the really best means may be learned; and,