THE AMERICAN FLAG PROTECTED OFF THE SEA.

Waikato Times, Volume 2611, Issue 2611, 6 April 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE AMERICAN FLAG PROTECTED OFF THE SEA.

Mn Hknky Geokcju is as staunch an advocate for Free Trade as for free land. In a letter written while crossing the Atlantic on his recant visit to Europe he wrote as follows. As a bit of special pleading it is clover, and Mr George no doubt thoroughly believes it. Mr Carnegie, however, had previously given a satisfactory reply to such allegations agaiust Protection, that if the Americans are not now ship builders to the same extent they formerly were, it is because they have found better use for thoir money. Mr George writes : — I write on the seas, but under the flag of the German Empire. For the American who now-a.days crosses the Atlantic must leave the jurisdiction of his own couutry as he leaves the laud. There are a variety of foreign flags under which they sail; but " protection to American industry " has inado it impossible that he should sail under the American flag.

The Eider, though owned by a German compauy and manned by a Gorman crew, was not built iu Germany, but ou tho Clyde. German " Protection "is not so thoroughly destructive as ours. If it makes tho cost of building ships higher than it ought to bo iu Germany it at last allows the Gcrmati subject to buy ships where lie can get them best and cheapest, and to sail them under his own flag. This the American citizen cannot do. " Protection " will neither permit him to build ships at home nor to buy them abroad. At least, if ho does buy them he must continue to sail them und«r a foreign flag. And so to-day, though a number of the traus-Atlantic steamers that sail in and out of New York harbour are owned, in whole or in part, by American capitalists, they sail under foreign flags, arc commanded by foreign captains, manned by foreign crews, and are liable in case of war to be called into tho service of foreign governments. Thus, within less than a generation, the flag that once floated over the best and fleetest ships on every sea has been absolutely excluded from the great routes of ocean commerce. Steaming down the harbour .of Now York we carried, as an act of courtesy, the American flag at tho fore, but the black, white and red of Germany floated proudly in place of significance at the stern. And as day by day our captain has pointed the snip's position on the chart hung up for our information, he has done us American passengers the compliment of alternating a pia carrying a little tin German flag. But this is the only time and the only way in which we sec it. When we discover a little streak of smoke on the horizon, and then the masts of another ocean traveller, we speculate as to whether the stranger is an English steamer, a French steamer, a German or a Dutch steamer. But no one ever dreams of speculating as to its being an American steamer. Most of our passengers are German speaking. They all seem to take a pride in this German ship. Everyone of them with whom I have had any talk has taken occasion to ask me how I like the German line, and whether I don't find it more comfortable than the British steamers or the French steamers. No on 3of them has asked mo how I like the German line as compared with the steamers of my own country. They would as readily think of asking that of a Chinaman. And citizen of the world thought I like to think myself, I confess this galls me. For my most vivid recollections of the sea are of a time when we firmly believed that tho young Republic of the West was tho destined mistress of the ocean, Now even Germany is ahead of us. " Protection " has doue for us what we oncc thought would he beyond the power of the combined navies of the world, and has swept our flag from the ocean. The Eider is a good, comfortable ship, moderately fast as ocean steamers now go. She has run on the short days of the Eastern passage at an average of ."SO miles, and could easily run away from any American naval vessel, or overhaul any American merchantman. Like tho rest of the large fleet of steamers which the North German Lloyd arc now running without any subsidy, she was built in Scotland. But the elaborate decorations of her saloon are unquestionably by German artists, and from the bronzed sea dog who commands her to the little Biemorhaven boys who are making their first voyage, her crew are German. And a good sailor-looking set they are. The boys especially interest me; they recall the time when "the change ind the charm of a sailor's life" stirred my boyish imagination. American boys don't go to sea now. " Protection to American industry" has shut up to them that opening ot active natures,