Arizona republican., 1904-01-20
An Arizona ship Canal.


 The mania fer making ship canals
 has spread to Fl Paso. It appears t'
 be raging chiefly among the demo
 crats one of whom has proposed 2
 project to the Fl Paso Herald for the
 revolutionizing of the commerce Of this part of the world. We are unable te gather from the comments of our con- temporary on the project. whether fl lends it full endorsement or not. We feel warranted in saying thcugh for Arizonians that that feature of it re- lating to the building of ship canal between Yuma and Fl Paso will be hailed with shrieks of delight by the residents of the southern part of the territory, notably by those of Tucson. which has for long time been setting up a claim to the homer of being d seaport. the only one in the territory. The contention has. however not 5een we'll founded, being based upon the variable Santa Cruz sometimes rag ing river and at other times a sandy river. utterly unnavigable. except for vessels of light draft.
 However, since we come tC think Of it. Tucson is not much farther from tide water than our recently opened Mnnchurian ports of Mukden and An tung. of which Russia has wished us much joy.
 But here Is what the Herald has 10 say of the project of q Jackson Democrat:
 Perhaps the most practicable scheme yet suggested fer immediatelT raising Fl Paso into the million popu- lation class comes frum Kentuckia n. war. who signs himself "A Jackson Democrat and writes to the chamber of commerce In care of the H raid. The letter. printed in yesterdays Her aid. is worth reading and rereadirg. and during this present year. 1904. ;"t all lcyal Fl Pasoaus Join in the g:aat work here set hefo.e us. The pr Gct should be brou6lt uP :'efore the Ma tional Irrigation Congress as the nIln- ciple topic of discussion, and President Roosevelt should De askel to send some of the naval vessels here t.. as sist in inauguratng movement 90 heavily fraught with Va st promise in the friendly intercourse of the na .ion5 of earth.
 The plan involves the dredging of the Rio Grande, presumably from its mouth to it's source, thus creating a great ship channel from the Gulf of Mexico and from Colorado and New Mexico to Fl Paso; this to be followed by the cutting of canal from Fl Paso to Yuma, Arizona, !he canal. like the river. to be both for ocean shipping and for irrigation; this accomplished. the Colorado river and the Gulf of California would temporarily serve as an outlet to the Pacific. nntil the ship canal could be extended across Cali 1ornia to the sea direct.
 "One merit of the scheme prop-Sel is it's simplicity. Aside from :ha fact that it is planned on a somewhat large scale. t is really no more than the cutting of ditch. It is d pleasant thought with which to welcome the nRsE year. that our children will live fa see the commerce of the world di- yRstsd to this waterway; at our d-cks tAe FFeighters of all nae aeions will take on cargoes of gold and silver and tAFauoise direct from the mines, and shiplOad after shipload of Fl Paso Ssibas and Bartlett pears. and mac sxOnf wheat from the Rio Gtand4 ! ct teUss Eill clear from this port 10 the Gisies of the Old World. F.! Paso, 376O fe%s above the sea. will hear the wash ins of the tides on her sandy beaches. and %hs whistle of the ocean ferry. vith boats direct every hour between EAEeEPocl and Hong Kong. via Fl Paso, and eatween New York an3 San Diego FiS Fl Paso. wlll be heard night and dag along our mighty waterway. The iESgination takes wings at thought of what the project means to Fl Paso and to aA the world besides.
 This is the first democrat of modern times to have a positive programme, a ready practicable, progressive .sug- gestion, as opposed to the eternal tear ing down that the democratic party stands fer. All honor to this Jack son demOcrat'"