The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-25
OUR sTRArEGIc ADr.4vr4GE.

" II 0IhAfEtT1C ADV IN I-4TE.
1t is a fact that up to the present time
less than 20 per cent of the traffic of the
Orient with the United States has passed
through the Northwest via Puget Sound
and that the vast bulk has been handled
through New York by way of Cape Horn
and the Suez canal VIII this condition
continue? Certainly not. and here are
few reasons:
First-Puget Sound is less than one-half
New York's distance from Japan and
China via the Suez route, and one-third
that via the Horn.
second-The greatest freight vessels in
the world are being built for the Puget
Sound trade with the Orient
Third-The staple traffic articles requir-
ed of us by the Orient are for the most
part produced in the Mississippi valley
and on the Pacific coast.
Take the important and alI-rulng item
of geography and distance. The average
man who looks at map gets the I'M
~ S"-9iDli IA4et the dCliiC SHORES OF Inc
United States and Asia are somewhere
near parallel, and that Panama, for ex-
ample, is very nearly as close to the ORIENT
as Puget Sound: whereas, the tact is.
the continents of North America and Asia
are set at a very wide obIique angle sur
rounding the Arctic ocean, so that short
cut from the United States TO the Orient
is from Puget Sound northwest via the
Aleutian Isles and the northern waters
Of the Pacific, instead of due west through
mid-ocean. The latest government chart
shows that Puget Sound is only 4,2lO
miles from Yokohama, while San Fran
cisco via Honolulu is $500 miles dis
tant and Panama S,C55.
Admitting the comparative proximity Of
Puget Sound and Japan. the current no.
ton is that Hongkong and Southern Chi
IA are nearer to us via Southern CaITfor-
MIA or Panama than via Puget Sound.
How erroneous this notion is in fact. ap-
pears from the government chart dis
tances, showing Hongkong $500 miles
from Puget Sound, 1850 miles from San
Francisco and over $500 miles from Pan
ANA. AS a matter of fact, the short cut
to the Orient from San Francisco is by
the northern route via Puget Sound rath-
er than By Honolulu. San Francisco YES
sells save SEQ to LOGO miles in going to
China and Japan via the northern route
compared with the Honolulu voyage.
The northern route being the geo
graphic short cut to the Orient Puget
sound holds the strategic point of ad-
vantage, because it is the most north
westerly harbor in the United States.
Even the cons ruction of the much
talked Of Panama canal would not take
from Puget sound its strategic post of
advantage. Vessels bound from China
and Japan to the United States would
save 4,00O miles in going to Puget sound
rather than to Panama, and, arrived at
Puget sound, the goods are certainly
nearer the consumers than at Panama.
A 12-knot freight vessel requires two
distance, and would require three weeks
longer to reach Puget sound than to get
to New York via Panama. Commerce
cannot successfully be conducted under
such a handicap. Freight leaving the
Mississippi valley for the Orient would
be dropped on the docks at Shanghai by
the big Puget sound frelghters before
New York freight via an isthnus canal
would get half across the Pacific, and re-
turn freight would be back at Puget
sound again before the New York goods
reach the Orient. When coal, wages. in
terest, insurance and repairs are the
great items in the cost of ocean Shipping.
and rapid transit is the principal source
u profit. it is a clear case that the
Puget sound traffic route will conquec all
competition.
Look at the vast waste by present New
York routes. It is about 1900 miles from
New York to Hongkong or Yokohama
via Cape Horn, and 12-knot vessel re-
qui@es eight weeks to make the voyage.
Beside that, place the Puget sound dis,
tarce of 4,24O miles to Yoke
hama and $3.50 to Hongkong. and
there is q saving of six weeks IN
the trip. New York Is somewhat nearer
the Orient via Suez canal than via the
Horn; but Puget sound saves just s,uoo
miles, or a months voyage in the trans
mission OF freight to Japan. as compared
with New Yorks globe circling route via
Suez
Is there any question as to tho ultl-
mate outcome? Time and distance gov
err the business world in all else out
side Of ocean routing, and they will gov
ern there also. What are the great IN
ventions that have revolat:snized ciyi,iz-
ation?-simply time-savers. or, what is
the same thing, human labor savers OF
levers for the production of the highest
volume of output from the highest ont
lay Of cost. That is the whole science ard
art of modern Industry and commerce
nalHely, to cat Gown the outlay of time
and labor TO the point thai there Will be