Merchant ships need secure home ports and protection along their voyages. In wartime, that protection requires armed ships. Mahan connects the United States' diminished merchant service in his period with declining interest in its war fleet. He expects renewed profitable shipping to create a constituency for naval revival. A canal through the Central American isthmus offers another possible stimulus, although he doubts that a peaceful commercial society will prepare far enough ahead.
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Why merchant shipping creates demand for a navy
Mahan links commercial shipping to secure ports, armed protection, and domestic support for naval spending.