Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-08-12
GERMAN VIEW OF CANAL.
Says II Will be Great Help to American
Commerce.

Washington, Aug. 11.-Richard Guen-
b., ther, United States consul general at
FRANKFORT. Germany, has sent to the
Department of Commerce and Labor
translation of a prominent German
view OF the effects Of the Panama Ca
nal on international commerce. The
translation reads in part as follows:
"The great fnteroceanic route of nav
igation in the western hemisphere will
be open to traffic in about ten years.
The question of how large the trafhc OF
toll -paying vessels would be dominated
! the whole affair so long as the con-
struction was to be on private account
for the sake of profits. At present this
question has been entirely relegated to
the rear. Nobody thinks OF remunera-
| tIveness any more. The fruits of the
enterprise consist In indirect profits;
they must be looked for in the military
| political field and in the promotion of
American commerce. In this lies the
| centre of gravity of the situation.
"Of what real advantage the sole
control of the waterway in times of
war will be to'the United States will be
|
sequences for commercial navigation
are more evident. If looked at with
European eyes they appear small.
| What will the Panama Canal offer us?
To the whole Of eastern Asia and to
Australia, inclusive of New Zealand
| the way via the Suez Canal will remain
4 much the nearer for Europe. From
| Hamburg to Hong Kong, for instance,
| the distance is, via SueZ, 1882 nautical
miles, via Panama 1883; to Melbourne,
via Suez, 1857, via Panama 1873; to
| Yokohama, via Suez 1851; via Pana.
ma 1924. The Australian archipela-
go plays too unimportant role to have
the reduction of distance to 1t consid-
cred in this connection. For Europe,
therefore, there remains a saving only
in traffic with the west coast of Ameri-
ca. In this Germany, especially Ham,
burg, participates largely. In COM
merce with western South America
England occupies first place. and is
followed by Germany, the United
States and France in the order named.
OF the imports of Chile, in 1902. for in
stance, England supplied s1S.200 900
worth; Germany. s12,500,00 worth; the
United States. $4,000 900 worth; France
$3.300,000 worth; all other countries
$10,000,000 worth. These figures, how
ever. are of very slight Importance with
reference to the total commerce. In
1902 Hamburg imported from western
South America goods to the value OF
s31. 100000; from Central America, S.
100000; from Mexico, s4,20O,000; from
western North America. $780, 900: a
total Of s47,S00,O0O. This in round
numbers amounts to 9 per cent. of the
transoceanic imports Of Hamburg
Bremen hardly participates in this
commerce. The exports were far less
viz: To western South America, SILL.
500. 900: to Central America, s., 900, 900;
to Mexico, s1.300,000; to west coast of
} North America. s1.200,000; a total OF
So, O00, 900, or AZ per cent. of the total
transoceanic export of Hamburg. OF
these countries Chile is the most i'm
rortant and is hardly affected, so far as
Europe is concerned, by the Panama
Canal. Hamburg received from Chile
s23,208.0O0 worth of products and
shipped $4,000 900 worth in return. This
Is between one-third and one-half Of
the total commerce with the western
coast. Vessels laden with saltpeter
and guano will undoubtedly prefer the
route around Cape Horn which
is not much longer. and for cargoes of
such little value will be preferable to
that by way Of the Panama Canal.
which is subject to heavy tolls.
1.-THE exchange of goods with the coun-
| tries to which the lessening of distance
Is the greatest. namely. Western Mexico
and California. Is of only moderate i'm
portance. The saving of nautical miles
between Hamburg and San Francisco and
to all harbors on the Western coast north
of Panama Is 6652; south of Panama the
saving constantly decreases. Between
| Hamburg and Valparaiso 1t amounts to
only about 24o0 nautical miles. This saw
ing Is very much larger for the eastern
ports of the United States. namely. 1851
nautical miles between New York and
San Francisco, so that New York on this
route gains 1883 nautical miles more than
Hamburg. But this is not all. The main
fact is that this saving is so large on the
route from New York to Eastern Asia
and Australia that it changes the present
disadvantage of New York into an ad-
vantage. From Hamburg to Hong Kong:
via Suez. the distance Is 1o542 nautical
miles from New York to Hong Kong, via.
Suez, it is H. 650 miles. Hamburg. there
fore. has an advantage Of about lib nau-
teal miles The Panama Canal will give
nothing to Hamburg, but a saving OF 40
nautical miles to New York, so that the
distance will be only 1886 nautical miles,
707 less than from Hamburg. In routes to
the more northern ports Of Eastern ASA,
as we'll as to those Of Eastern Australia,
the gain of New York grows very materi-
ally.
| From Hamburg via SueZ. to Melbourne
the distance is l., 1867 nautical miles; from
New York about r. 500 miles Via Pana-
ma. however. the distance from New
York Is only AT, so that it Will be about
1000 nautical miles nearer to the Austrai-
ian port than Hamburg. To Yokohama
! the distance from Hamburg Is L, 81 nau-
teal miles, from New York, via Suez,
, lit is L3, 5S4-in round numbers. 1000 nautical
miles longer than from HAMBURG.
!. Through the Panama route New YORK
gains 3729 nautical miles in the japan
lines, Hamburg nothing. New York has:
, therefore, a DISTANCE Of only 1886 nautical
miles to Yokoharha-that Is. in round
numbers. 300 nautical miles less than
Hamburg. In shipping to Japan and
Northern China, and In less degree 10
Southern China and Australia. New YORK
will have the advantage. on account OF
/, shorter steamer trips, over Hamburg and
English ports. If Europe has been here
tofore in a more advantageous position.
North America Will be the favored party
ubap tho Panama Hanal Is built.