The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-05

| 10 the commerce OF the past carraeQ Oh
under the conditions then prevailing.
l. THE statistics of entrances and clear
ances show that the net register tonnage
OF the American and foreign shipping that
would have passed through canal had II
existed during the year 1S9S-'99 was H.
| 5S3. 12S tons. in addition to part of the
commerce between Europe and the ORR
ent. The opening of the American 18th
mian Canal will accentuate the present
tendency to follow round-the eworld lines
and not less than one-fourth Of the pres
ent traffic Of Europe With Eastern coun-
tries may be expected 20 use this route.
One-fourth of the vessel tonnage employ
ed in the European-Oriental commerce
during the calendar year 1898 amounted to
1,154,32S tons net. and this added to 4.5S2. :
12S gives total OF 5736. .456. the number
of tons of shipping that would have used
a canal had it been in existence in 1893
80"
The benefits to be derived from the
canal by the United States are spoken OF
as follows:
"As compared with Europe. the United
States will derive from the canal far
| greater benefits, both commercially and
industrialy. The commerce OF Europe
| with the Pacific Coast of North. Central.
ana South America, under existing condi-
tions. is somewhat larger than the total
| volume OF the present traffic of the United
States that may be considered tributary to
the canal: but this fact does not indicate
the relative advantages which the canal
| will possess for the trade Of Europe and
that Of the United States. AS soon as 1t
| has been opened, our trade with the west
| coast OF South America will rapidly in
| crease, as will also the volume of our
| trade with the Orient. The amount OF the
American commerce through the canal will
| quickly surpass the tota. amount OF Eu-
ropes traffic.
"An isthmian canal will strengthen the
| unity OF the national and political inter-
| csts of the United States, develop its Pa
cific territory. and promote the commerce
! and industries OF the entire country. The
| benefits which Europe will derive irum
| the canal will be commercial. In addition
| to this ours will be political and indus
| trial By bringing the eastern and west
| ern sections OF our country into closer
relations, by reducing the time and cost
of transporting our western products to
Europe. and by enabling the Eastern.
Southern. and Central States to reach the
raw materials and markets Of Pacific
countries cheaply and expeditiously. the
canal will more fully identify political and
social interests and quicken the Industrial
activity of every section of the United
States. The iron and steel, the textiles,
and the other manufactures of the East
eTu ana southern states, luc Cuui iiom
the mining regions. the cotton from the
South. and the grain and forest products
from many sections will flow out TO for
eign countries in an increasing volume,
and this larger trade will be shared gen
orally by the ports OF all our seaboards-
the Atlantic, the Gulf. and the Pacific.
"These are the considerations which JUS
tify the expenditure by the United States
of the sum required to build the canal.
iryo Inv. fariH nj
and be at variance with the production of
q large revenue from the canal.
Advantages of the Nicaragua Route.
"One method of showing the relative
advantages which the Nicaragua and Pan
ANA routes would possess is to compare the
distances by way of each OF them between
typical Atlantic and Pacific ports.
Between New York and San Francisco
tho Nicaragua Canal route would be 81
nautical miles shorter than the Panama
route. Between New Orleans and San
Francisco $40 miles would be saved. and,
in general. the distances between tine At
iantic and Pacific ports OF the United
States are less by way of Nicaragua.
Between our east coast and Yokohama
and Shanghai the Nicaragua route is some
what shorter, but for the trade Of our Eas- |
tern ports with the west coast of South |
as the Nicaragua.
"a part of the saving in distance ef- |
fected by using Nicaragua Canal instead |
of one at Panama would be Offset By the |
longer time Of transit at Nicaragua. An |
average steamer would require twelve |
hours to make the passage through the |
Panama Canal. and thirty-th through |
one across Nicaragua. For a 10-knot |
steamer this difference of twenty-one hours |
would be equivalent to 200 knots differ
ence in distance and for 13-knot steam
er. the difference in time of transit would /
be equivalent to 272 knots
The Commission proceeds to relate the |
condition which the purchase OF the fran
chises Of the French Panama Canal Com
pany would impose upon the United |
States. and reason from this that "even
if the privileges of the companies could
be purchased by and transferred TO the
United States, they were encountered with
charges and conditions that would not
permit this Government to exercise all
the rights of complete ownership over a
canal constructed by it at the Panama
route"
Concluding Statements.
The concluding portions of the Commits
sion's report contain the following state
ments:
II. The estimated cost of building the
Nicaragua Canal is about S5S, 900, 900 more
than that of completing the Panama Ca
nal, leaving out the cost of acquiring the
latter property. This measures the 6if-
ference in the magnitude Of the obstacles
to be overcome in the actual construction
of the two canals. and covers all physical
considerations such as the greater or less
height of dams, the greater or less depth
of cuts the presence or absence of natu-
raj harbors, the presence or absence of
railroad, the exemption from or liability
to disease. and the amount of work re-
manning to be done.
THE New Panama Canal Company has
shown no disposition to sell its property
to the United States. Should that COM
pany be able and willing to sell. there is
reason to believe that the price would not
be such as would make the total cost to
the United States less than that of the
Nicaragua Canal.
I'll The Panama Canal. after compile
ton, would be shorter. have fewer locks
and less curvature than the Nicaragua
Canal The measure of these advantages
is the time required for vessel to pass
through, which is estimated for an aver
age ship at twelve hours for Panama and
thirty-three hours for Nicaragua.
.'On the other hand, the distance from
San Francisco to New York is 3T1 miles.
to New Orleans $40 miles. and to Liver
pool 1856 miles greater via Panama than
via Nicaragua. The time required to pass
over these distances being greater than
the difference in the time Of transit