would be of much assistance to the United States merchant and fishing marines. The United Kingdom appropriates over $2,300,000 annually for the maintenance of a naval reserve. When in 1917 the United States Shipping Board undertook the construction and operation of a large number of merchant vessels it was found that at least 10,000 new officers would be needed. It became necessary as a war measure to establish recruiting stations and training schools, for the United States was totally unprepared to operate largely increased numbers of merchant and naval vessels. The annual expenditure for the government subvention of merchant shipping in the manner suggested, and for the creation and continuance of a force of naval reserves, might warrantably reach a maximum of $10,000,000 a year. The expenditure by the United States Government during the next decade of its gross receipts from foreign postage, or a slightly larger amount, to build up the service of ocean transportation in American vessels, would be a wise policy. The steady and sure development of the foreign trade and the naval strength of the United States is of such prime importance to the country that the merchant marine and the ship-building industry may well be given the moderate direct government support that is here recommended. 3. Various navigation laws, particularly those referred to above, should be revised so as to eliminate requirements that burden American ships without assuring the accomplishment of desirable aims. Indeed the United States can not have a consistent national shipping policy, although it encourages American shipping directly and indirectly, if it, at the same time, imposes burdens through hampering navigation laws. This does not, however, mean that the safeguards against unsafe navigation should be removed, or that undesirable working conditions should be permitted. Much of the burden attaching to some of the navigation laws would be eliminated if they were made applicable alike to foreign and to American vessels serving the ports of the United States. This general principle is not, however, a panacea, for a provision may be of such a nature as to have an especially severe effect upon American vessels. The language requirement of the Seamen's Act, for example, applies to Japanese as well as to American vessels operating on the Pacific, but it acts as a hardship only in case of American shipowners. 4. It is highly desirable that the regulatory provisions of the Shipping Act of September, 1916, should be enforced against all concerns within its scope-foreign as well as American. It is especially desirable that the provisions concerning the supervision of ocean conferences and those prohibiting deferred rebates, fighting ships and retaliation should be enforced, so that newly established American ocean lines will not in the future be subjected to unfair competition. In this account of governmental activity there has been no desire to minimize the imperative need for effective private enterprise on the part of American shipowners, exporters, bankers and investors. Ocean shipping and the foreign trade are deserving of government support, but public aid can but supplement private initiative. REFERENCES Boston (Directors of the Port of Boston). "The Use and Benefits of an American Merchant Marine," in Bulletin, No. 2 (1915). Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America. Report of Special Committee on the Merchant Marine (May 8, 1915). DUNMORE, W. T. Ship Subsidies, chaps. iv, v (1907). National Foreign Trade Council. Ocean Shipping, 2d ed. (House Doc. No. 2112, 64 Cong., 2 sess., 1917). New York Chamber of Commerce. "Reports and Debates on American Merchant Marine in the Foreign Trade," in Supplement to Monthly Bulletin of the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York, January, 1915. United States (Congress). Committee on Commerce, Majority and Minority Reports on Promotion of Foreign Commerce by Providing Adequate Shipping Facilities (Senate Report No. 841, 63 Cong., 3 sess., 1915). United States. Committee on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Hearings on H. R. 10,500 (February 10-March 9, 1916). -(Federal Trade Commission). Report on Coöperation in American Export Trade, part I, pp. 32-40 (1916). ZIMMERMANN, E. W. Foreign Trade and Shipping, chap. ix (1917). INDEX Alaskan Engineering Commission, 359. American International Corpora- tion, 272. Amsterdam Canal, construction of, 103; traffic of, 103. Appropriations for river and har- Barges, use of, 55. Bounties, French, 468. See also Brig, description of, 6. Canal Zone, government of, 80. 99; Kiel, 96; Manchester, 104; Tramp service. See also Chemistry, Bureau of, 355, 374. Clipper ships, American and "Bal- Coaling stations of the world, Coast and Geodetic Survey, 347. Coastwise shipping, policy in past, Common carrier by water, defined, Coöperation and combination of ocean and rail carriers, 303-313. Crews, navigation laws princi- pally applicable to, 367. by, 19, 20; largest steamships Dead-weight tonnage, 112. Diplomatic Service, 357. Dockage and wharfage practices, Engines. See Marine gas en- Ericsson, John, naval architect, Express service, see International Fares, ocean passenger, little "Fighting ships," 298. Foreign mail, amount received for, in 1914, 496; contracts, 421. Foreign money-order service, 210. American merchant marine in, Foreign Trade Advisers, Office of, France, government aid to ship- ping in, 468-475; subsidies paid United States, 363, 417, 421, Freight rate agreements, diagram Freight rates, see Rates. Fulton, Robert, steamboat built Germany, merchant marine policy Girard, Stephen, merchant trader, Government ownership, as a mer- Great Britain, government aid to Gross tonnage, exemptions from Hamburg-American Line, largest |