The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-10-17

San Antonio. Tex. Oct. 16.-To the rep
resentative OF a local daily Col George
W. Goethals made the following state
ment while passing through tins city on
his way 10 the Necaxa dam, in Mexico,
where he will look over a break in a
lock:
THE first thing the American people
should thoroughly comprehend" he said,
lis that the Panama Canal Is primarily
a military necessity. It's construction
will save TO the national government the
cost OF maintaining two fleets. The mon
ey saved. that Il would cost 20 construct
another feet Ike the Atlantic feet IS
building the canal.
THE cost of maintaining the canal
after completion will be no more than II
now costs 10 maintain the Atlantic fleet.
Now. the people must frankly be willing
20 admit that the Panama Canal is
military necessity, first Of all. When
they have admitted this. then II behOoves
them TO ask how they can make the
canal a great commercial way that will
bring prosperity to the South tenfold
/
flag on seagoing trade vessels.
Must Fix Tolls Low.
There are two things that must be
done II the Panama Canal is 20 be made
a great commercial highway and Of profit
TO the people in tolls or in increased
I trade.
The first thing is to tx the tolls as
] q L. eli
I 10 London, by way OF the Panama Canal
/ than It is Of the Suez Canal Make the
/ tolls on the Panama Canal less than
on the Suez Canal and trade will be
K drawn through this waterway.
/ "Hongkong IS slightly farther away
! from London, By way Of the Panama
\ Canal than by way OF the SueZ Canal,
/ but make the tolls less and II the great
/ cost Of coal consumption for the few
additional miles does not eat up the
( difference, trade from this city also VIII
/ be sent by way OF the Panama Canal in
stead Of by the Suez Canal
What the effect OF the canal will be
/ on the commercial prosperity OF Texas
is something I cannot predict. But II
this canal is made a commercial canal
by adopting the methods ! have suggest
ed. then il will be impossible 10 predict
how great an increase in the wealth OF
the States will result from It's construc-
ton.
Galveston IS full of foreign vessels
carrying our grain. The Panama Cana
/ will help foreign commerce more thar
our own. unless we establish on the high
seas a feet of ships carrying the Ameri-
can flag; and TO do this we should pas.
ship subsidy law at once. Then yoJ
will see that Texas will receive grea
benefit from the canal we are digging
The ship subsidy is but a part of thu
general plan 90 develop the commerce.
Of the country and Of the south
FmvOrs Lock Canal.
Speaking Of the governments deci
sion to build lock canal instead Of ad
herring to the sea-level ditch, Col Goe
thals said:
When first took charge Of the cana
It was with my mind in favor Of sea
level canal. but we have all our plans
laid now for the construction of a loci
type, and it Is too late 10 change. In
vestigation has convinced me that thi
is the better type. II the American PEG
pie would stand for the constructing o
a canal zoo feet wide across the Isthmu
of Panama, and then for two smalle
canals to parallel It, I would say con
struct a sea-level canal
The cost OF this, though. would b
almost inestimable. 1t would he neces
sary TO construct such a type to provid
for the care of the food waters Of tn
l Chagres River. This spring, when W
opened a section Of the canal, the foo,
waters Of the Chagres poured in and de
posted about two feet OF sand and grave
/ fho HOT ~ "a NJ will
TO be dredged out. What would thi
amount to II the canal had been a sea
level waterway, far below the level o
the present one, which is but two fee
: lower than the bed of the Chagres River
Work Progresses Rapidly.
''No," continued Col. Goethals, wv
4 must construct a lock type canal or al
- low our organization TO go to pieces
$ We are ready to begin work on layin
concrete for the fight of locks at Gatur
To change the plans now would mea
20 lay off all these men. We have a.
COO men on our pay rolls, and must kee
them employed
Col Goethals made the statement tina
d he would return after his duties on tn
o isthmus had come to an end.
q ''If I get through with this task L
o retire, for my lies work Will De endeS
: I shall have accomplished all that ca
be expected Of any one man, and 1 kno'
no more could be expected Of Co
: Cocktails. A man can give only ths
which is in him, and when this 10
is completed the people will have gotte
: out OF me all there is in me. I shall r.
= tire
!, After his inspection Of the Necaxa dan
: he viii return to Washington, whenc
/ ne win leave for Panama. on or aboJ
| Octahar q