The evening times., 1900-03-23

stations. and We have none such along
these routes. For centuries that passage
to the east has been the prize for which
people have fought. and its possession has
made cities and nations great. When Eng
land took il her okr-seeing statesmen fas-
, tened il TO her by line of fortified places.
covering every strategic and important
point. Cntil, or unless, some great rival
TO England's naval power wrests the con-
troll OF these places from her. these two
routes 10 the East are as much England's
as is the route from London 10 Edinburgh.
To be sure England and America are the
best Of friends, but exigencies of war arise
which would make il necessary TO shut
friend and foe alike out of this so-called
neutral canal.
1t is called neutral by international
law. but international law in war time can
still be epitomized as the good old way.
the simple plan that he may take who has
the power, and he may keep who can
Friendship among nations implies equality.
and we viii remain better friends If Deith-
er is al a disadvantage with the other.
Now that we have gotten into the broad
world with our trade and our possessions.
We certainly cannot allow these routes for
our trade and our war vessels. and be
tween certain points in our possessions.
be entirely in the hands Of others.
As TO the isthmian route. il does not
concern US to discuss the merits Of Nicara-
qua or Panama. That is subject for dip
lomatists and engineers. Either route is
near the United States and equally domi-
mated by our island possessions. All
routes TO the isthmus pass Cuba or Porto
Rico and the Sandwich Islands are the
only and natural coaling place 10 the west
ward in the Pacific Ocean. Jamaica is
owned by England but II is so thoroughly
overshadowed by Cuba that ii is little men
ace TO our entire control over the canal.
The Bahamas are again shut off by Cuba.
IL would seem that Providence has kept
the key points 10 the isthmus until We
were ready to take them"
Captain BickneIIs Views
Capt. G. A. Bicknell. L. S n. spoke OF
the strategic nature Of the canal He said
in part: Our Navy is too small 10 fulfill
its peace duties. except by the wide dis
persion OF naval vessels. Hence. always
for war there must be a concentration.
The isthmian canal will help this concen-
tration. whether The danger point be on
our eastern or western coast.
European naTies are so much stronger
in proportion TO their resources than is
ours in proportion to our resources that
than for us. To us it may be vital Wis
dom for us would be to build the canal al
the first opportunity. to purchase a strip
of territory to make ii entirely ours and
to provide for its defence as a part Of the
national domain. The protection Of the
canal will be secured best by feet in
,he vicinity Of its entrances. The patri-
Otism and the intelligence Of the people
of the United States which have been am
pie in the past, Will provide easily for this
protection.
In time OF peace prepare for war is a
rule of national conduct as imperative now
as ever in the past There are those vho
from their classic retreats OF peaceful
study, or from their editorial sanctums. or
from the desks where they are clipping
coupons. are eloquently assuring MS that
war is thing of the past; that this is
the era Of arbitration. and they point with
pride to The Hague conference.
'Unluckily for these rainbow chasers,
the daily kilograms tell US. as only the
sufferings or the death Of friends can tell
US, that war is real and an obstinately
recurring fact. inseparable from humani-
tvs life. and which nationally we must
provide for or suffer worse evils.
A. Naval Facility.
Three considerations should lead US TO
be prepared always for war: First, war
has been the habit of the United States;
second, Eurasia is opposed to our political
ideas and practices, and the desire of its
peoples to fight us can best be pacified by
our readiness to fight them; third, the few
Intervals of peace our country has enjoyed
have been secured for us by the unequaled
skill of our diplomatic representatives
abroad and the unfijnching patriotism oP
our consular service rather than by any
fondness for peace by any of the powers
Considered solely with reference 10 the
United States. the forty-fve contiguous
States to which only and to no others do
our people owe any political obligation,
the canal seems TO be a naval need for the
common defence. Such vigorous young
sters as the United States may well be al
lowed what they need sometimes.
Considering the probable results of our
last war. the extension of our national in
terests in the tropical zone, Porto Rico,
Hawaii. Tutuila, Guam, and the Philip
pines, and the not impossible accident of a
United States trade in the Pacific the use
of the canal would enable most of our |
Navy TO reach the scene of their useful |
ness in one-thifd or the time and distance |
which is now necessary.
In our nations history the aim of our |
national defence, which has never failed |
u.s. has been the Navy Scanty as. it is. il |
is now our most complete defence. From /
present indications the Navy may soon be |
more important to the national defence |
than ever Our Navy wishes the canal only
as a quicker way to its various scenes of |
duty. Our little Navy hopes that in those |
scenes Of duty however reached its fu-
ture may be worthy OF its own past