CHAPTER

Preface
I       introductory
II      great Britain
III     France
IV      Germany
V       Holland-Belgium
VI      Austria-Hungary
VII     Italy
VIII    Spain-Portugal
IX      Denmark-Norway-Sweden
X       Russia
XI      Japan-China
XII     south America
XIII    the united states
XIV     summary
Index

PREFACE

The intent of this little book is to furnish in compact form the history of the development of the ship subsidies systems of the maritime nations of the world, and an outline of the present laws or regulations of those nations.  It is a manual of facts and not of opinions.  The author’s aim has been to present impartially the facts as they appear, without color or prejudice, with a view to providing a practical manual of information and ready reference.  He has gathered the material from documentary sources as far as practicable, and from recognized authorities, American and foreign, on the general history of the rise and progress of the mercantile marine of the world as well as on the special topic of ship subsidies.  These sources and authorities are named in the footnotes, and volume and page given so that reference can easily be made to them for details impossible to give in the contracted space to which this manual is necessarily confined.

E.M.B.

Boston, mass. 
September 1, 1911.

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTORY

The term subsidy, defined in the dictionaries as a Government grant in aid of a commercial enterprise, is given different shadings of meaning in different countries.  In all, however, except Great Britain, it is broadly accepted as equivalent to a bounty, or a premium, open or concealed, directly or indirectly paid by Government to individuals or companies for the encouragement or fostering of the trade or commerce of the nation granting it.

Ship subsidies are in various forms:  premiums on construction of vessels; navigation bounties; trade bounties; fishing bounties; postal subsidies for the carriage of ocean mails; naval subventions; Government loans on low rates of interest.

In Great Britain they comprise postal subsidies and naval subventions, ostensibly payments for oversea and colonial mail service exclusively, or compensation for such construction of merchant ships under the Admiralty regulations as will make them at once available for service as armed cruisers and transports.  They are assumed to be not bounties in excess of the actual value of the service performed, with the real though concealed object of fostering the development of British overseas navigation.  Still, notwithstanding this assumption, such has been their practical effect.