Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-11-27

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BstweensAs By u Bisesy and ths Mesa-
tsrranean ssa.
While We are trying to convineo :
great many ll-informed or apathekio
citizens Of New York that the Erie canal
is worth saving, France il becoming sx-
cited and hopeful over the subject of :
new grand canal, which, If ever aug. VIM
be our Erie over again, with ell modern
French engineers-Nith
the venerable De Lesseps at their head
have genius for planning canals
French capital does not shrink from exe-
outing their plans Even the unexpect-
ed and seemingly insurmountable diff
culties of the Panama scheme have NOT
stopped contributions % that work ftom
Frenchmsn. But the new canal
now enthusiastically talked of IN France
is one to which there are no grave objec-
tions Of the kind that leave the comple-
ton of the Panama canal still in doubt
The proposition is nothing more seri-
Gus than that Of widening and deepening
the Garonne river to q point where L
connects with the canal du Midi, near
Toulouse, and then enlarging that canal
to its termination on the Mediterranean
sea. The idea is to afford water COM
munication for vessels of the largest sizs
between the Mediterranean and the At
lantic. The improvement of the nsviea-
ton OF the Chronicles the estuary =
called which connects the Garonne With
the Bay of Biscay-is necessary part
of the enterprise. Bordeaux would then
be made accessionable at all times TO
steamers of the largest class, and the
same vessel could keep straight on to
the Mediterranean If necessary.
A single glance at map of the world
on Mercator's projection shows the i'm
mense advantages of this route to
American commerce. The present long
detour Of the Spanish peninsula could
be avoided. Ships could sail from New
York direct to Marseilles, Genoa, and all
the ports Of north Italy. The interior
trade of southern France-of Toulouse
and other places between Bordeaux and
the Meditsrranean-would be open to
us. The United States would clearly
profit by these increased facilities Of
traffic with France and with the whole
coast of the north Mediterranean-al-
ways provided that the transit through
the canal would be speedy and the tolls
reasonable.
But for out present purposes we are
not seriously considering the direct in
terests which America might have in the
work. France, like the self-relisnt coun-
try she is proposes to make this canal
for herself. She is looking at the subject
from a domestic point of view almost ex-
clusively. She wishes more convenient
means for the cheap and swift exchange
OF her own products and manufactures.
There could be no better device to in
crease her internal commerce than q
ship canal from the great port of Bor-
deaux in the west to Narbornne or some
other desirable terminus of the canal in
the east. But here are military con-
siderations as well. If France had such
a canal she could in an emergency trans
fer her ships OF war with safety and dis
patch from the Atlantic to the MediteR-
ranean aud vice versa. At the worst
the canal would be harbor OF refuge.
The military and naval authorities con-
cur in recommending the proposed canal
on account of its strategic value. If any
argument for its popularity we're needed
this one could be used with great effect.
All the reasons, therefore. combine to
give new impetus to scheme which is
far from new. It has been ofaa advocat-
ed in the past, and by no one more
earnestly than by M. de FreyciDet, the
presentforeign minister Of France, whose
visit to the southern departments has
been made the occasion of renewed ap-
reals for the realization of q great idea.
The same statesman was an ardent sup
porter of the project when minister Of
public works under Napoleon, and his
continued approval of it is assured.
The cost of such canal would necess-
arily be very large. and the engineering
obstacles not slight. But patience and
skill can cleave the way if the fund do
not fail. The one thing that France
does not lack is morey, and so we may
consider il settled that if she sets about
this canal it will be made.
France has less inducements for MAX
ing this great and costly canal than New
York has for preserving and improving
the Erie. It is no more important for
her-as regards commerce-to have
cheap and ready communication with
the Mediterranean than for us to main-
tain our present canal facilities with the
western lakes, At the best her scheme
is problematical. Ours is fact accom-
plished. It is perfectly certain that it
will pay the state handsomely to save
the Erie canal from ruin. The more
liberal the appropriation for its improve
ment, the wiser the economy. We doubt
not that If France had such canal with
in her territory connecting waters equiv
alent in importance to the North river
and Lake Erie, she would long ago have
it into ship canal and made
it contribute vastly to the prosperity OF
her people.
Size of Hen-Houses.