Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-14
THE PACIFIC,
| Sea Between America and Asia the
Ocean of the Future.


Sea Between America and Asfa the
Ocean of the Future.
From the New York Tribune
THE ocean of the future" the Pacific has
thoughtfulIy been called. Nor, indeed. does
1t require an exceptional amount of pres
cience to discern that the shores of that
sea are empires destined soon to play i'm
measurably great parts In the commercial
Drama OF the race. Time was when the
Great Sea was the Mediterranean, and all
the nations of the known world were
grouped about its shores. 1t was not until
long after the Christian era had begun
that the Atlantic ocean began to figure
prac1lcaIly In the affairs of nations. For
the last four centuries it has been pre-
emlnently the great sea of the world Not
until about one hundred years ago did the
Indian ocean and the Pacific begin seriously
TO be cultivated by the ploughshares of
commerce. But today the last named
while not the greatest in commerce is the
foremost of all in rivalry and interest while
the world
L is an suspicious and a gratifying fact
that our own country occupies upon that
ocean of the future the assured position of
advantage One other nation, 1t is true
our closest kin, has, like us, a frontage
upon both shores and islands In mid sea
But neither tn America nor in Asia is the
BRUSH racine frontage comparable with
ours. nor do the British insular possessions
form so complete a transoceanic chain.
And no other non-Asiatic nation has any
important footing upon Pacific shores In
these circumstances Ii is natural that our
Pacific commerce should be Increasing II
would be strange and most dfscreditabIe IL
II were not. As matter of statistical fact
our Pacihc commerce is growing more than
twice as rapidly as that of our Atlantic and
quiz ports. In the last five years IT has
fully doubled, and unless Russian spoliation
OF China shuts and bars against us too
many doors it seems likely to keep on in
a a r1t xaz
rate.
We have said that only one non-Asiatio
power is In position seriously to COM
pete with us upon the Pacific. But there
is one Asiatic power capable of doing SO,
though happily 1t is power whose rela-
lions with the United States are conspicu-
ously friendly. The development of Japan
csc commerce is one of the wonders OF
the world. Practically it began on civilized
lines in 1872 At that time Japan had nine
ty-six merchant steamers of aggregate
tonnage Of less than $4,000. Not one OF
them was seaworthy or was able to ven
ture away from the coast. In 1900 Japan
had S46 steamers Of more than 52S 900 tons,
most or them modern vessels Of the finest
type. Since 1872 Japanese commerce has
had practically constant Increase until
now, In eighteen years, a net increase of
more than 4.6l7 per cent is recorded That
Is not, of course. all transpacifc commerce.
But nation which, starting from seclu-
sion and barbarism at a date still within
the memory Of men not yet superannuated,
has now developed a foreign commerce
of more than s250. 600 900 year Is certainly
factor greatly to be reckoned with.
The United States. Great Britain and
Japan are the three great commercial
powers of the Pacific. OF the three by far
the greatest natural advantages and oppor-
tunities lie with the United States But
advantage and opportunity are benefcent
only as they are improved. The multiple
cation Of transcontinental lines. the open
ing OF a transisthmian waterway, the span
ming OF the Pacific with an American cable
and the great increase OF the American
mercantile marine on those waters-these.
together with q wise policy which viii inn
prove our foothold In Asia and keep open
the doors Of all China to our trade are tina
measures by which our opportunities are
to be Improved and our Pacific commerce
made and kept the greatest Of all.