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Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 29, 3 August 1921, Page 6

In 1789, 23.8 iper cent, of the overseas commerce of the United States was carried in American vessels. By 1795, the proportion had risen to; 90 per cent., and it stayed With remarkable evenness at that figure until 1830.. Then came, the era of irou and steel ships,'when America had no steel works to take the place of forests in the provision of shipbuilding material. So thero commenced a steady decline until by 1860 America ' carried _ only 66.2 per cent, in its own ships.. This was the time when the country commenced. to extend its great railway systems and turned its efforts to • developing the interior of the country, and by 1870 the percentage had fallen to 35.6, a fall which continued until in 1910, when only 8.8 pel' cent, of America's overseas commerce wont in American ships. Since that time there has been a steady rise, helped, of course-, by war construction, until, in 1919, 27.8 per cent, of the overseas commerce was carried in American bottoms.