The passenger steamers of the Hudson are large, speedy, and are capable of carrying thousand of excursionists.
Even at the beginning of the 19th Century ships of a thousand tons or more were rare, and the famous clipper ships of even a later period were smaller almost as often as they were larger. Yet did these ships speed on their way across the oceans in all weathers in their furtherance of trade.
Of the billion and a half people who inhabit the world to-day few indeed appreciate the huge importance of ships. As I pointed out in my opening chapter, the world as we know it could not exist without them. Even the far simpler world of the ancients required them, and the modern world depends on them far more.
In Great Britain there is a wide and real appreciation of the value of merchant shipping. But the fact that Britain is an island depending upon lands across the seas for the very food that gives it life makes the importance of ships more evident. Not only for that, of course, are ships vital to Great Britain. To buy food her people must manufacture goods to sell to foreign peoples. Does the manufacturer weave textiles? His raw materials come from the United States, from Egypt, from Australia and New Zealand. Does he manufacture tires? His raw materials must be bought in the East Indies and Egypt. Does he manufacture cutlery? His product, or at least much of it, must be sold in foreign markets in order that such foreign products as are not to be found in Britain may be purchased. Does he need oil? He must buy it from the Dutch East Indies, from Transcaucasia, from America. Do the people need sugar for their tea? It must come from Cuba or Jamaica. Does the country need copper? It may come from Peru or Michigan. Furs? From Canada. Wheat? Argentina, Canada, Australia, the United States, Russia. Coffee? Brazil or Java. Rice? Japan, the Philippines. Lumber? Canada. Paper? Canada or Scandinavia.
And for every cargo bought in foreign lands a cargo should be returned, else trade is unhealthy and will languish. Britain, to a large extent, imports raw products and food, and exports manufactured articles and coal. This the people know and deeply realize. The result is that Britain’s merchant fleet is the greatest the world has ever seen.
A STEAM YACHT
Unfortunately the type of yacht pictured here is less common than formerly. These are being replaced by yachts with less graceful lines, differing from this in many respects but perhaps most noticeably in having a perpendicular bow and no bowsprit.
But in the United States the vital importance of ships is not widely understood. During the last decade of the 19th Century and the first one of the 20th it might almost have been said that the subject was not understood at all. The World War corrected that somewhat, but even after that holocaust had forced the subject before the public and had created a condition that demanded ships, the subject was not more than superficially grasped. The result was that the nation that had suddenly leaped to a position in world shipping second only to Great Britain so lightly took its responsibilities that its great fleet of ships was permitted to run down when an economic crisis made it impossible for them to find cargoes. Almost as important in this deterioration of the American Merchant Marine after the war were the backward laws and lack of interest on the part of the people.
But the United States is not so situated that the importance of ships can easily be appreciated. The people would not starve if there were no ships, for the nation’s own resources, seconded by those of Canada, would prevent such a calamity. The land has coal and steel, has copper and cotton and farm products. It could have enough sugar without going overseas. Its great area and diversity of climatic conditions produce, perhaps, more of the necessities of life than can be produced by any other single nation. Yet is it dependent upon ships. Without them the millions of automobiles would shortly stop running—for lack of rubber, from which to make tires and insulation. Without ships the vast wheat crop could only with difficulty be harvested—for lack of binder twine, which is made from Yucatan sisal.