Ever since our merchant marine was driven from the sea by the rebel cruisers during the War of the Rebellion the United States has been paying an enormous annual tribute to foreign countries in the shape of freight and passage moneys.  Our grain and meats have been taken at our own docks and our large imports there laid down by foreign shipmasters.  An increasing torrent of American travel to Europe has contributed a vast sum annually to the dividends of foreign shipowners.  The balance of trade shown by the books of our custom-houses has been very largely reduced and in many years altogether extinguished by this constant drain.  In the year 1892 only 12.3 per cent of our imports were brought in American vessels.  These great foreign steamships maintained by our traffic are many of them under contracts with their respective Governments by which in time of war they will become a part of their armed naval establishments.  Profiting by our commerce in peace, they will become the most formidable destroyers of our commerce in time of war.  I have felt, and have before expressed the feeling, that this condition of things was both intolerable and disgraceful.  A wholesome change of policy, and one having in it much promise, as it seems to me, was begun by the law of March 3, 1891.  Under this law contracts have been made by the Postmaster-General for eleven mail routes.  The expenditure involved by these contracts for the next fiscal year approximates $954,123.33.  As one of the results already reached sixteen American steamships, of an aggregate tonnage of 57,400 tons, costing $7,400,000, have been built or contracted to be built in American shipyards.

The estimated tonnage of all steamships required under existing contracts is 165,802, and when the full service required by these contracts is established there will be forty-one mail steamers under the American flag, with the probability of further necessary additions in the Brazilian and Argentine service.  The contracts recently let for transatlantic service will result in the construction of five ships of 10,000 tons each, costing $9,000,000 to $10,000,000, and will add, with the City of New York and City of Paris, to which the Treasury Department was authorized by legislation at the last session to give American registry, seven of the swiftest vessels upon the sea to our naval reserve.  The contracts made with the lines sailing to Central and South American ports have increased the frequency and shortened the time of the trips, added new ports of call, and sustained some lines that otherwise would almost certainly have been withdrawn.  The service to Buenos Ayres is the first to the Argentine Republic under the American flag.  The service to Southampton, Boulogne, and Antwerp is also new, and is to be begun with the steamships City of New York and City of Paris in February next.