The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-12-17
BEGIN TO
GET READY
URGED TO ANTICIPATE
OPENING OF PANAMA
CANAL
John Barrett Speaks on Important
Topic Before Southern Commercial
Congress-TWenty-on States Bor-
der on Seaboard-Commerc Op-
portunity.

Congress-1Wenty-on States Bor-
der on Seaboard-Commerc Op-
portunity.
Washington, Dec. 11.-John Barrett,
director of the International Bureau of
American Republics, before the South
ern Commercial Congress, at the New
Willard hotel, delivered speech, of
which the following are extracts:
1T is of the highest Importance not
only to the South but to the whole
country that We should begin to get
ready for the Panama canal. We are
now actually confronted with a serious
danger to our commerce and our pres
tige abroad-namely, that we shall
complete the canal only to find that
other countries will gain greater prac-
teal benefits from it than will the
United States.
"The one great thing, therefore, that
our people and our congress now
should do is to study and set in mo.
ton such activities and policies as will
place the entire land in readiness to
enjoy, and profit from, the new routes
and facilities provided by the canal.
It will be almost criminal lack of FORE
sight to spend four hundred millions
of dollars ($4OO, OOO,0OO) digging this
waterway and then awaken at it's COM
pletion to find that We are not in po-
sition to utilize fully it's much dis
cussed advantages.
Twenty-one States on Coast.
There are twenty-one states of the
Union bordering on the high seas and
having ports from which vessels ought
to steam through the Panama canal,
and yet hardly one of them realizes the
opportunities which the canal offers,
with it's completion only five years
distant There should be started a slo-
gan Get ready for the canal which
would be heard all along the Gulf, At
lantic and Pacific coasts and inaugu
rate a national movement to prepare
for it in way that will be effective
and practical. Every city and COM
foreign commerce should acquaint it.
self with actual trade conditions in the
parts of the world to be reached by the
canal.
Every section of the country-espe-
cially the South and Central West
should familiarize itself, for instance,
| with the great West or Pacific coasts
of South and Central America and the
possible wants and resources thereof
Conditions of demand and supply, cay
pacity to sell what is desired or pur
chase what is for sale, starting of new
industries, conservation of resources,
improvement of coast harbors and in
terror waterways, betterment of steam
ship facilities, the sending of qualified
agents abroad, study of the Spanish
4 language, travel among these hereto
fore distantsbut future close neighbors,
and acquaintance with their social and
racial characteristics-all have di-
rect and important bearing on getting
ready for the canal
| Commercial Opportunity.
"The Southern states abutting on
the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, the first
tier of states back of them and the
and rich commercial opportunity be-
fore them in Latin America Without
charging upon the vast east coast of
South America, which includes the
mighty areas of Venezuela, Uruguay,
Brazil, Paraguay and Argentine, with
/ a.
billion dollars ($1,OOO,OOO, OO0), let us
bear in mind that there reaches di-
rectly south from Panama to Pata-
gonia a Pacific coast line of 5000
miles, in the very infancy of it's de-
velopment, blessed with a marvellous
variety of resources and climate, and
one which, though comparatively iso-
lated, is already conducting foreign
trade valued at three hundred millions
of dollars ($3OO,000,00O) per annum. In
other words, the five republics of Co.
lumbia, Ecuador, Peru. Bolivia and
Chile, practically debouching on the
Pacific, bought and sold in one year
products equal in value to two-thirds
of the entire cost of the canal. If a
trade of such volume can be main
tanned without the canal, it is diff
cult to predict safely its valuation
few years after the canal is completed.
Northwest from Panama is the Pa
cific coast line of Central America and
Mexico, with reach of nearly three
thousand miles, which will be put into
direct and intimate touch with the
South when the canal is opened. This
coast line from Panama to San Diego
now carries on foreign trade valued
at approximately one hundred millions
of dollars 100000, OOO. It is hard to
| prophesy what total this will become a
few years after the isthmian waterway
is done.
Cuba on Direct Route.
Directly en- route from the Atlantic
coast to the canal are Cuba, the Do
minican republic, Hayti and Porto
Rico, with an annual foreign trade val.