The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-07-09

PARIS, France, June 90, 1873

|
The completion of the ST. Gothard Tunnel,
due IN a great measure to German enterprise,
has awakened some anxiety on this side of the
Rhine as to the future reserved for France in
regard to the great commercial question of in
ternational communications. Inspired by this
feeling the Republique Francaise examines
the subject from a patriotic point of view,
making several suggestions as to the best
means OF protecting French interests in the
great struggle which is becoming more ardent
every day. Three projects have been put for
ward for preserving to France a due share IN
the enormous traffic between the various coun-
tries lying north and south fthe Alps. 1t was
at first proposed to pierce the Simplon but
objections being made TO such an undertaking
on foreign territory proposal to run tunnel
through the Mount Blanc, with one end on
French soil, was put forward. More recently
again suggestion has been made to the Cham
Der % improve the railway system of France
by making direct route for English goods
from CALAIS to Marseilles. The great French
road from north to south, the Republic Fran
caise points out, has suffered since the com.
mencement Of the railway era from an exces
sive tendency to Capitalization towards Paris
The advent of the German war struck another
blow at international traffic through France
and diverted the current OF English merchan-
disc to Antwerp and Ostend. The compile
ton of the st. Gothard Tunnel has created
such a situation that at the present moment 1t
is more advantageous for goods from the north
of France and from England to Belgium to be
forwarded by that route than through the
Mont Gems Tunnel. This state of fairs be-
ing fatal to the French system in general, and
more particularly preiudiclal to the Northern
and Lyons Railways, it behooves French
statesmen to do something to secure a share
in the traffic from north to south, and TO at
tract to Marsellles the flow of trade from the
east which now threatens to be diverted to
Genoa and the st. Gothard.
The RepuJltque to Ffoncaise concludes by
proposing a resolution of the question in the
following terms:
| ut would be wrong TO have resort only to
lais to Marseilcs, which was mooted forty
years ago. can only form procngatlon of the
tunnel from Dover to Calais. No doubt by
applying to this railroad all the improvements
suggested by science and experience, the En-
glish traffic would be irrevocably secured, but
that is distant solution. For the present, let
US hasten to attack the Alpine range either a
the Mont Blanc or the Slmplon Every year
lost is immensely prejudlcial to US. When
commerce has once established its communI-
cations and its stations, it is displaced with
difficulty. From this point of view some con-
sequences Of the war are still unremoved. FL
nally let US improve the arrangements in our
harbors, diminish the fiscal obstacles to trade,
and oblige the railway companies, those great
monopolies established with the completely Of
the former regimes, to guarantee tina, in regard
to facilities Of transport our railroads shall
not remain behind those of England, Belgium
and even Germany. Our geographical posi-
ton IL admirably adapted to international
communication. The Alpine range enclosing
Italy on the northwest originally forced the
torrent of men and products into the valleys
of the Seine, Saone and the Rhine Hence
the prosperity of Lyons and Marseilles. Now
that science can do away with all distractions
the state of things is altered, and we must do
our best to maintain our place in the struggle,
under the notifications resulting from the
piercing Of the Alps"