The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-12-13

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II requires no prophetic eye 10 foreseo
the building OF a great ship canal across
tho Central American lsthmus. TO con-
meet tae Atlantic aud the Pacific oceans.
Ia the early future. The matter iG be-
fore the United states Congress la such
manner and backed by 80 great a weight
Of public favor. that action looking 70
the earliest possible construction of tho
great work viii have to be taken Within
few years. therefore. great merchant
nccts VIII be communicating the globe
without rounding either Cape Horn or tho
cape Of Good Hope
The construction OF this American 18TH
milan canal viii change some OF the chief
ocean routes Of the world aud probably
create new centern OF commerce. Some
OF those cities which are now OF fret
importance viii ioso IN prestige. while
other cities will gain Immensely in wealth.
population and the other attributes Of
municipal greatness. As the discovery
OF the route TO India and China by the
way OF the Cape OF Good Hope destroyed
che prestige OF Venice. Genoa and other
cities Of the Adriauc. 20 may the com
p.otion Of this canal. aud tho consequent
change OF routes 10 the Far East SINH
larry affect some OF the great commercial
cities OF tho present.
one possibility. even probability. with
which this canal matter Is pregnant is
tho etill further expansion OF the United
States. to the southwark. The country
through which the canal will
pass IS rlch in agricultural prod
ucts and minerals. For holt
century the eyes Of adventurous Amer
leans have been cast lonsingly In the III
rection Of t.. With tho canal a. basis
for American settlers and developers. u
would not be long before Central Amer
/ lea. from the boundaries Of the United
States OF Colombia TO those OF tho rcpub-
Dc Of Mexico, would be well populated
with Engish-spcaking Americans. They
would take with them to their new places
OF abode the ideas OF government which
/ they absorbed IN North America. The
| next movement would be the annexation
Of the Central American states by the
/ United States, with tho full and free con-
Z N'h+ - AAA hAA3NAAN u NAo uytnltAAtk
element OF the population.
There would DO more reason for the
| annexation OF Nicaragua. Costa Rlca
| Guatemala and Honduras by the United
states than there was Tor the annexation
% the Hawaiian islands. the conquest OF
| the Philippines ana the taking Of Porto
| Rico. Expansion in that direction-tbat
/ 81 to the southward on our own contl-
nent. ana whore states could be even
! tuaily erected-would meet with no strcu-
uous opposition. The United States. In
behalf Of their commerce. need the caral
ana sundry railroads ana telegraphs Ia
/ Central America; aud they need people
o; their own ia the territory 10 manage
ana protect those public utilities. Il
would be logical. therefore, to have the
I Stars and Stripes aaoat over Central
America.
The construction OF tho proposed great
waterway 10 connect the two oceans viii
bring about many changes IN the trade
OF tho United States. aud also in their
relations with foreign countries. II the
canal IS to be American. the territory
through which it passes VIII have to b.
American also, sooner or later.