The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-19
ADMIRAL EVANS
 FOR FREE CANAL Declares There Is No Other Way Out of Difficulty TREATY NEEDS REVISION Must Not Count on Supercedlng the Suez Canal-Coal Cost Is SerI- ous DifficuIty-PIan Favors
 Foreign Commerce.

FOICI9u OofnfnCfCCs
 New York, December 1S.-(Special.)- Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans gave out today the most remarkable state ment so far issued in the discussion over the Panama canal when he printed in Hampton's Magazine for January the fol- lowing words: "The only remedy in sight Is to make the canal free to American commerce, and if this can be done to rely for it's benefits on the advantages to follow to the various industries that will naturally be affected"
 Admiral Evans argues that, owing to calms, sailing ships will not be benefited by the canal and that owing to coal charges and original cost of building, steamships will not be benefited by the canal unless canal rates are made so cheap that the transcontinental railroads will be unable to underbid the freight carrying steamship.
 His article in Hampton's continues: ''The objection to a canal free for Amer ican commerce only is found in the terms of the HayPauncefote treaty, one clause
 
 be free and open to the vessels of com merce and of war of all nations observ- ing these rules on terms of entire equal ty. so that there shall be no discrim- ination against any such nation, or it's citizens or subjects, in respect of the con ditions charges of traffic or other wise. Sue hconditions and charges of traf- fic shall be just and equitable. ''
 
 "If this provision of the treaty is to be observed, and surely 1t must, then no exception can be made in favor of Amer ican vessels; they must pay the same traffic rates as vessels of other nations, or stay out of the canal. In other words, the government of the United States must maintain a waterway between the two oceans purely for the benefit of for eign commerce, without benefit to our domestic interests, because of conditions which were not known or not understood when the building of the canal was au- thorized. This will not appear to ths American people, or to fair-mnded people the world over. as a good business propo- sition, and they will look for means of relief The same powers that made the treaty can make another which will cor rect the faults of the present one.
 Tt cannot, for moment, be fairly as- sumed that the Congress of the United States will tax the people of this coun- try for the building and maintenance of a canal or other public work which will not only be of any value to them, but will actually operate to their disadvan- tage by comforting benefits on foreign commerce which is competing with their own.
 'rhat such will be the case no one O cb plX built and more cheaply operated foreign ships If we create a great demand for freight carriers, wh ichwe certainly will do by building or digging the canal, and are unable to supply such carriers, we encourage others not only to build them but in addition, we will lhave to pay them to carry out products through our canal for us. In effect this condition means that we will have given the for eign the foreign ship owner an ad- vantage over the American ship owner
 Assuming that the present treaty must remain in force, let the Congress of the United States declare the canal free to the commerce of the world This would mean that the people of the Unit ed States would pay the interest on the canal bonds and in addition the sum necessary to keep it in order and meet its operating expenses and thus secure the advantages and reap the profits, whatvere they may be, of the commerce passing through it."
 The admiral points out that we have precedent for such a procedure in our present costly system of coast and har- bor lights, our system of deep channels at New York. Boston and Philadelphia, and our governmental works on the Great Lakes. constructed for general use with out any Idea of a direct revenue in re- turn.
 As to Panama's possible competition with Suez, Evans says Suaz will hold her traffic with Hongkong and intermediate points. The distance Is shorter by Suez. the weather better, and coaling stations more accessible, and coal cheaper.
 Let us now consider the traffic from Europe to Austrial via the Suez canal.' he continues, "and see If there may be a chance to divert this to the new route. The distance from Europe to Melbourne by the present route Is about 2000 miles less than by Panama with convenient coal and repair stations at various points and trading ports of great importance 1 within reach. The distance alone would mean the saving of 250 tons of coal. l which for the round trip would mean 800 l tons. Coal must be cheaper when sup piled in large quantities and where the | stations have the advantage of the short | CT haul from the source of supply; both or tneSe are now, ana IDisl TeHaln, III favor of the Suez route."
 "Suez now declares a dividend of 20 per cent and, if Panama sht uld compete for this Australian traffic. rates could be cut until this dividend would be ma terially reduced before Suez would give pthe trade.'
 Whether New Zealand traffic can be induced to leave the Suez and use the Panama route will also depend on the comparative price of the coal supplied on the two routes and the rates charged for passing ships through the canals. Suez will undoubtedly make strong fight to retain the business and as 1t Is only 6 fraction of that handled. the rates can be greatly reduced before the 20 per cent dividends now declared are sriously affected
 Admiral Evans then launches into a discussion of the cost of the canal and It's probable revenues. He estimates the l total cost at s4OO.0O00O0 and the expenses of running the canal at s4,o0O,000 yearly. | He places the annual business which the canal will do at 6,O0O000 net tons. and concludes:
 If we treat the estimates under con- sideration as We have been forced to treat those for construction, we will find that the canal, for the first year of it's operation, will return revenue insuffi- cient to pay even the working expenses"
 E.