The testimonly of Secretary Redfield and others. given in the report onthis bill by the House committee on this question Is most interesting and convincing. That isnot all. I want to call attention to the fact that iiost gentlemen on that side seem to think that we have a freeship law on our statute books. which does not indce foreign ships to come under our flag. because we have to employ American seamen against Asiatic seamen of other nations. Now. the same law applies here to seamen that applies in England. Our shipowners can employ every imember of the crew Asiatic except the officers. and I am not sure. but I am almost sure. that the English law requires English officers oui English ships. But whether it is the law or not. the fait is that on the English ships they have English officers. and they have a gireat iiiany English in their crews. There is nothing to prevent the Aiimierican shipowner shipping Asiatic crews or crews of any other nationality. just as the English shipowner may. What does this bill do? The amendment simply says that we will no longer give the shipbuilders a club which they may hold over the head. of the American Government to compel it to buy Americanbuilt ships at a premium of 25 or 50 per cent over its value.