Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-10-31
The short water Road to Asia.

Ahe SNORT - HfeE ASitl 10 ASA
Philadelphia Times.
The America war vessel Tenless ee
| recently passed through the SusZ canal
She hSd her bUGkeTs full o. coal, drew
twenty-thres feet Of water and ran at a
speed Of from four 10 i've knots ali the
time. There were no stOppages and no
detensiOns. From sea to sea the voyage
was uninterrupted, and ReaT-Admirsl
Reynolds expressed bis qualification al
the result Of the transit This shows
that large ships, heavily laden, can pass
through the Suez canal with entire ease
and certainty. The great nations of
| Europe need no longer send their vessels
around the cape Of Good Hope to reach
| India. Both distance and danger can
be avoided by the Suez shoIs-cuL Yes
SEES can run into tue MsditaIIsu ear sea,
along that channel e. Tue mouth 81 the
! canal. through that passage 70 the RED
sea, ana IN this manner reach JneiT
Asiatic destinations. And EEgian
stands sentinel over important key
points in this line % water cOmmUliCa-
ton. Her guns gUsrd the straits GibT2l-
tar. Further up the Mediterranean she
holds Malta, p strong port, and or . from
which grest mischief could Ue done to
And beyond THAT, st the point 8h. re the
Red sea deb1uChes into the Arabisu
lel, the flag Of England floats over
/ Alden, and the TOar Of neT morning and
evening gun is heard, telling Ct e. ma
| tons JaaI John Bull has his hands upon
| the commerce Of the canal at that point
In this manner England. ia fast If not
/ in appearance, has a mighty influence
upon the management OF the SuaZ e.
/ nal, an Influence she will not fail 10 Use
| against all rivals, either in . CONNER
| cial or weriike sense. ia peace she VIII
| send her goods TO isis under better cir
| cumstaGces JAaa We can control a the
present; and IN case Of q war her shiDs
{ can reach certain points or -tysgeIic
/ value III advance of those of the United
/ States. These facts ueces sariIv bring I'D
/ the imperative need OF a shin.cang!
/ across the isthmus which connects North
and South America. At the present
/ time, war vessels ordered to the North
! Pacific have TO pass down the whole
/ eastern coast Of the continent. turn the
| stormy Cape Horn, aud sail thousands of
miles up the coast on the Pacific side,
| before reaching their destination. This
/ Is frightiul loss Of time, snd puts tne
nation at { disadvantage n case OF a
/ war with another co.ntTy. II . canal
was cut Gcrsss the isthmuz, the dis
lance would be reduced fully one
half, and all the tempest5 and waves
in the GeighbOrhOOd of Csps Horn
avoided. AS the Suez canal is n success.
there are no solid TeasCus why the
United States should not put g similar
water road across that portion a., the
! continent which offers ths most aGvsG-
tsges TOR sucn -tiOnal work. Asia is
the opening nelG for action Of g broad
ana commanding character, -ud the
United States must be prepared to enter
1t on equal terms with hex European
/ competitors. For commerce OF war we
should be equally well prepared. II hos
tile preparations are necessary the
/ United States would have to reinforce
her fleet in the Pacific and on the coast
of Asia by tue longest possible route,
and thus run the iisk Of being defeated
| by superior force. And in trade, also,
time Is money and strength, We are
now carrying some s-t.cies nom Aus
tTalia aud other .sOinLs in the Pacific TO
! EnglG1G, Oy way OK the Union PzCisg
read, in advance Of the other route. But
these are only 8 few srti5;es. The bulk
OF the trade has - 20 by 9 water route
to save expense, ana this Is another Tes-
son why such a road should be- opened,
so that vessels may pierce the waist Of
| the continent and not have to pass round
! its feet. We cannot afford to be beaten ~
Europe in the matter Of facilities for
| commerce or preparation cor war, anu
when congress meets the different 18TH
! mus surveys, made by order OF the gov
eminent, viii no doubt command early
and proper attention from that bOdy.
When t6e Tennessee passed through the
Suez canal, the question Of short Wster
road to Asia assumed q still more inter,
/ esting attitude, so far as the United
States is concerned. The managers Of
| the Guez canal might 30 disposed TO pal
| that imprOveInent on neutral oasis
during > war. Bat the influence Oh
England would be potential enough 70
40 arrange that matter as 10 gain ali the
advantages of cary, II not exclusive
transportation. This is one OF the grave
matters which attaches TO the coming
resurrection Of Asia, and IL cannot be
too carefully considered by the states
men aud legislators Of this country.