Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-23

trio energy have furnished California with
cheap motive power and placed that state
on manufacturing plane. This Is merely
one feature Of the Pacific coast develop
ment that is creating new conditions at
various intervals from ALASKA on the north
to southern South America.
A new railway from Salt Lake to San
Francisco, the last link In new trans
continental line, Is being built with fever
ish haste, and other railway construction
is also In progress.
The Mexican government and British cap
italists are reconstructing the railway
across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec from
Salina Cruz. on the Pacific, to Coa.za-
coalcos, on the Atlantic. The railway com
pany has an agreement with the Hawaiian
Steamship Company whereby eleven steam
ers. averaging f0.oJ0 tons, will serve the
Atlantic and Pacific ends of the railway.
these vessels plying between the Hawaiian
islands and California ports and between
Mexican ports and New York. The rail-
way is 100 miles north Of Panama and
500 miles south of New Orleans, and in a
way will anticipate the traffic that was al
lotted to the Panama canal 1t Is too soon
to predict the effect of this new and close
connection between the Atlantic and Pa
cihc coasts. 1t will certainly create new
and important trsns-Pacific trade current.
The national policy of lie japanese has
stimulated shipbulding and oversee trad
ing. Possibly some other countries as fa-
yorably placed on the rim of the Pacific
win use their natural advantages In the IN
terest of the Pacific ocean trade. They
may be forced to this course by outside
pressure Germany has shown marked en-
terprise in Central and South America ana
in Pacific ocean transportation.
Recently Germans have started great
Central American bank, with central Of
flee in Berlin, the incident closely following
the opening of Japanese bank in San
Francisco. Competitive facilities for trade
and transporta ton, mainly bearing on the
far eastern trade, are rapidly increasing In
the Americas. One of the most suggestive
enterprises is the railway being built across
the narrow part of Canada, with a view
to securing the shortest water and rail
route for Great Britain from England TO
Asia.
There are signs that even in these days
of strenuous commerciaiism, the leading
nations realize that that which makes for
the commercial poise of the world Is best
for the world. There is a growing inter-
dependence of political and commercial in
terests born of International borrowing.
Every day emphasizes the fact that the
worlds financial chain, like other chains,
is no stronger than its weakest link
The world has not reached that state or
progress when he who fixes its loans may
care not who writes its songs or makes
its laws but 1t is none the less true that
the great financiers of the world have
enough interest in the far east to work
for Its harmonious development. These
men would rather combine for profit than
fight at loss. After the capitaiistic COM
binations of the last few years who dares
limit the combination possibilities OF the
far eastern trade.
Then there is the thought that even If
Japan shows the science in trade that
has marked its military advance. its finan-
cial limitations may Arrest Its present pro-
nounced progress. In any event, the cur
tain is rising on the most interesting cul-
tural and commercial drama of modern
times.