Equally has this always been the attitude of the American people towards every attempt made in peace to prepare for war. Besides this national distrust, prejudices had to be overcome which have existed both in the navy and the merchant marine. Our naval officers have never made any determined effort to create a reserve, either because they have not fully grasped the correlation and interdependence of the navy and the merchant marine, or because they have doubted the wisdom of spending upon an outside issue appropriations which, given to the navy, would produce a more immediate and tangible result. But from both points of view they are wrong, “for a navy unsupported by a merchant marine is a hot-house plant which may produce great results for a while, but cannot endure the strain of a long protracted campaign.” From the merchant marine the _personnel_ of the navy in war must come, and it is a fallacy to believe that by a small addition to our ordinary naval resources we would be able to cope with the navies of other maritime powers, or that in a long war an efficient and numerous reserve is not of greater importance than a few more seamen permanently maintained in the navy during peace. To the merchants and ship-owners the question is one of vital importance. The earliest and most disastrous consequence of war will fall upon the shipping interest. Under any system of defence the necessities of the navy must withdraw seamen from the merchant service and raise the rate of wages. If, then, by timely precautions during peace, we can diminish the probability that war can occur at all; if we are ready upon the outbreak of war to show that our homeward-bound ships are safe; if we can abolish or modify the risk that the employment of seamen would be abruptly suspended by embargo or interfered with by impressment or draft; if we can attach the sailor to his country, and prevent him from seeking employment under other flags, surely the owners of our ships and merchants will reap the greatest advantage. Abroad the importance of the subject has been fully recognized. France, under a system which has existed for over two hundred and fifty years, maintains a reserve of 172,000 men, who are between the ages of eighteen and fifty; 65,000 of these are between the ages of twenty and twenty-six, 15,000 are usually kept afloat, and 6000 more are quartered on shore. Germany has 15,000, and England nearly the same number. Notwithstanding the decadence of our shipping interest we have a large force from which to draw. The maritime population of this country numbers over 350,000, of whom 180,000 are available for the fleet. This number of course includes all those in any way connected with sea industries, and embraces coasters, fishermen, whalers, yachtsmen, boatmen, and all workmen in ship-building yards and equipment shops and stores.