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Show BOOM BEGINS. Edward X. Hurley, chairman of the shipping board, outlined plans for the establishment of direct steamship lines connecting American Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific ports with South and Central Cen-tral America before tho Pan-American commercial conference and much enthusiasm en-thusiasm was aroused among the delegates. dele-gates. Before tho war there were comparatively com-paratively few American vessels in the South and Central American trade and some of the products of tho south went to European ports before being landed on our shores. During tho war trade by tho nations involved in the great struggle and Germany of courso was shut out. The Europeans were likewise unable to furnish tho products needed by the Latin-American republics. As a result South America depended almost al-most entirely upon the United States. For a time we had no ships for this highly important trade except a few small vessels.. ,Sijie,e .entering the war, however, we have succeeded in establishing estab-lishing a liiei-clumfc ifrino of considerable consider-able size and it is being constantly enlarged. en-larged. In the course of time the American flag will be seen in every port of the world and wo shall never again lose our share of the foreign trade unless we throw away our opportunities, oppor-tunities, which is inconceivable. The plans of Chairman Hurley call for direct lines from Xew York to Brazil', Argentina and Chile; from New Orleans or Mobile to the west coast of South America, and Seattle and other Pacific ports to western South American ports. The first-named line is to bo inaugurated in November, with the former German liners Mount Vernon, Ton Steuben nnd Agamemnon, which are to be j-c-eir,dc!ed especially for this trade. The plans also call for at least two lines to serve tho West Indian trade, one of them covering the western Caribbean and tho other the eastern Caribbean with canal connections connec-tions at Colon. There will be good liner service between Valparaiso and Seattle, with calls at all important Pacific ports, and also between San Francisco and New York. The general plans involve much more than outlined by Mr. Hurley and more will be said upon the subject while tho necessary arrangements are being made. The government ownership idea has long since been discarded, but in order to get the vessels into the hands of private parties it will be necessary for congress to take some action. The trade harvest is ripe for reaping. We now have banking facilities in many of the foreign capitals and chief cities; we have quite a number of vessels which can and are being used in overseas over-seas and coastwise commerce; the Webb-Fomerene law allows pooling in our export trade. Yet the shipping business is still handicapped by antiquated anti-quated laws which have no business upon tho statute books. So far as wo know, tV administration officials, the shipping interests and tho banks with foreign branches are in substantial agreement as to the operation of the American merchant marine. What the senators and representatives think about tho matter will develop when legislation upon tho subject comes bo-fore bo-fore congress. Cheap politicians should be held in leash while this great problem prob-lem is being solved. |