The New York herald., 1874-07-21
The Metropolis OF the World.

few weeks since M. de Lesseps, the
French Director of the Suez Canal, threat
ened to close it unless there was some ad-
vance in the tolls. This act was prevented by
the Khedive, but the CONSERVATION occasioned
by the threat has led to great deal of discus
sion as to the routes between England and
her Indian poss essions. The Londsn Globe
shows that the route through America presents
many advantages even over that of the Suez
Canal and that, while India may be more
readily reached by the canal, so far as
Australia, New Zealand, China and Japan are
concerned, the cheapest and swittest route
is through New York and San Francisco.
The Planters Gazette publishes statistics
showing the advantage possessed by the
American highway over the road through
Suez. yokohama" says the Gazette, ''can be
reached via San Francisco In "a days, at q
cost of $780, against Sc days and $515 by the
Suez Canal; Shanghai in AZ days, for $410,
against SO days and s515; Hong Kong in 40
days, for $40, against 48 days and $465;
days and $50; Sydney in AZ days, for $40,
against 81 days and $40; and Melbourne in
4S days, for $435, against Sc days and $40"
The opening of the American route has, more
over, afforded increased facilities to those
enthusiastic travellers who find o peculiar
pleasure in accomplishing immense distances.
Any one desiring to voyage round the world
can do SO at cost of about $1,000 within
three months, provided he does not yield to
the temptation of dallying in New York to see
our Central Park and our collection of vener-
able statesmen, or Of visiting Washington to
see General Butler, or of lingering around
Chicago in the hopes of another fire. The
distance from England to these Pacific coun-
tries, which is little more than "a, 900 miles, is
divided as foIlows:-From London to Liver
pool, 200 miles; thence to New York, 5000
miles; from that port to San Francisco, by
railway, 1924 miles, and 4,764 miles more to
Yokohama, where the halfway house is
reached. From Yokohama to Shanghai the
distance is 1900 miles, thence to Hong Kong,
$40 miles; and from that port to Calcutta,
3, 500 miles. Crossing the peninsula of Hin
dostan, 400 miles have to be accomplished
before Bombay is reached, whence journey
of 5,875 miles carries the traveller back to
London.
Among the attractions of this proposed
American route the English journals en-
phasize the fact of the journey from New
York to San Francisco, occupying seven days,
is performed in Pullman cars, and that almost
the whole road lies in q temperate climate.
There is still another fact which these state
ments go far to strengthen. Geographically
New York is destined to become the central
city, the metropolis of the globe. II is the
only great commercial capital which is moi
exposed to the perils Of invasion or civil war
where business is sheltered where moneyec
men may handle their investments with
out any fear of the Commune or of social rev
olutions. A century from to-day and the mer
chants Of the civilized world will meet OF
! Broadway to make their exchanges, and al
| the tides of business will ebb and flow through
J the business arteries Of the fresh and might,
metropolis. With such future, TO which all tn
, signs point, is it not shame that our ruler
do not see what is required to make the me
tropolis worthy of her destiny THAT our peo
t pie do not appreciate it, and, rising in thei
pride and strength, drive from power thieye
like Tweed and dotards like Hayemeyers