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ae PRIZE WINNING ESSAYS The Fourth Prize Essay in the Competitive Contest Originated by . the Merchant Marine League of Tae Marine REVIEW the United States. In the competitive contest for the best essay upon the subject "How to Upbuild the American Merchant Marine in the For- eign Trade" projected by the Merchant . Marine League of the United States, the fourth prize was awarded.to L. M. Erskine, of Bowdoin college. Concerning this essay the judges wrote: | "He discusses five plans. The economic plan he dismisses because it disregards the immediate need of auxiliary naval power. - The free ship plan he dismisses because it would be the means of sending a large amount of money to foreign lands, - would close our ship yards and®would - not assist in the operation of the vessel after it was built. The free trade plan he condemns because it does not follow that an increase in foreign trade means an -- increase in shipping. He dismisses the discriminating plan and pleads for a di- rect subsidy. "Our reason for recommending this -- paper lies in the ingenious suggestion which he makes for the administration of this subsidy. He would have a perma- nent commission appointed composed of _ the secretary of the navy, secretary of commerce and labor, and postmaster gen- eral, with four other members appointed by the president to settle all questions of. shipping. This commission would have power to establish new lines and deter- mine the amount of subsidy necessary, in- creasing or diminishing it as business conditions required. There certainly would be much merit in having. our ship- ping under the jurisdiction of 4 compe- tent board of experts much after the fashion of the British board of trade. He argues that there is nothing in his plan to which other nations could take exception." L. M. Erskine was born at Jefferson, Me., April 1, 1885. He graduated from the high school at Bath, Me., in 1903 and from Bowdoin college in 1907. In high school he was a member of the Phi Rho Fraternity, associate editor of the school paper, member of the 1903 interscholastic debating team, vice president of the senior class and was awarded first prize for ex- cellence in composition during the four years. In college he was a member of the Zeta Psi Fraternity, of the History Club, the Lincoln County Club, the Bow- doin Debating Council and the Christian Association. He was an alternate in the Bradbury prize debate in 1906 and was elected to the Bradbury prize, debating team in 1907. He won the first prize in the Heath-Whitmore prize debate in 1906. He was secretary and treasurer of his class in the junior year and received a provisional commencement appointment at graduation. He held about all the offices of his fraternity and during the Senior year was president and manager of the fraternity house. He delivered several memorial day addresses and lectures and last year he nominated the successful] can- didate for state senator at the county con- vention. Mr. Erksine is now attending Harvard law school and is a member of the Marshall Law Club. He is also a member of Willow Grange P. of H. and of Riverside Lodge F. A. M. - UPBUILDING THE MERCHANT MARINE. cE BY L. M. ERSKINE. | During the last decade the people of the United States have become aroused to the fact that there is no American Merchant Marine. They have seen ship after ship forced out by foreign lines, and market after market narrowed to American goods because of the lack of American transportation, until at length they are demanding the rehabilitation of the American Merchant Marine, in order that American products may be carried in American ships, built, manned, and owned by Americans. As usual in all cases demanding a change of policy there has been a wide difference of opinion as to how the: common goal may best be reached. Among the variety of obtained a sufficient following to different plans proposed only five have entitle them to consideration, namely: 1. The Economic or Time plan. 2. The Free Ship plan. 3. The Free Trade plan. 4. The Direct Subsidy plan. 5. The Discrimination plan. The Economic or Time plan is that generally advanced by economic writers. In substance, it states that the withdrawal of American capital from foreign shipping was caused by the higher rate of interest afforded by investment in internal developments, and that when our internal devel- opment shall have reached the point where the interest return is not greater than the interest return from foreign shipping capital will turn once more towards the sea. see at the present time, and recent Morgan American Ship become largely interested in the Indications of this tendency they profess to this view Merger whereby American capital has chief trans-Atlantic lines. is given some credence by the : Tn Opposition to this view it is only necessary to sav that the econ- omists consider the question solely from an economic basis, disregarding' the additional navy power which such a plan disregards the unanim Prompt creation of a Merchant Marine. itself out in the process of Merchant Marine gives. Moreover. ous demand of the people for the Thouch this plan might work time. since it has seemed too uncertain and indefinite for anv consideration by the Merchant Marine Commission it is useless to dwell on it further. The Free Ship plan is based on the argument, that Americans shou'd have this it a. the right to purchase shins abroad and operate .them under the merican flag with the same privileges as American built ships. is sufficient to sav that stich a policy is in the highest degree disas- Against trous for both economic and political reasons. Economically it means the sending of a large amount of monev to foreign lands, furnishinoe a market for foreion materials and labor, all of which jc enceaged in deadly compe- tition with us, the closing of our ship yards, with the result that the build-