The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-06-23
The Way to Panama.

The Evening Post suggested many
months ago that the port Of Charles
ton offered rare facilities to the gov
ernment for the swift dispatch of mail
to the canal zone, and urged that the
routing of mails for the zone through
th1s port be taken up for practical
consideration by the federal authori
ties. There is reason to believe that
the suggestion has met with favorable
consideration and that the govern
ment will, before very long, establish
a mail service between Charleston
and Colon. with sailings probably
| once week. AS President Taft has
said-and has proved in his own
| movements-Charlesto is the most
convenient port" for Panama, and it
| Is impossible that the facilities Of
| such a port for fast forwarding of
mail and passengers should be ne
| elected entirely by the government,
which such extensive interests in the
Isthmus of Panama
If the mail service is established
through Charleston, as we believe it
Will be there will be presented to the
business community of South Carolina
and Of all the adjacent regions an op-
portunity for development of COM
merce with Central and South Ameri-
| ca that should be seized upon eagerly
| and made the most Of The calling of
a steamship. at the port Of Charleston
for mail will. in any event, be of bene-
fit to the government, but it will be
| OF little benefit to anybody else unless
advantage is taken of the communi.
cation 1t gives with the canal zone and
the neighboring countries of Central
and South America to work out trade
possibilities that are so rich in prom
Use to the enterprising business man.
AS the American consul at Maracaibo,
Venezuela, wrote in a letter to the
Charleston Chamber of Commerce the
other day, what New York is for the
North, Charleston should be for the
South. Your trade with the Central
American republics you should try to
gain. 1t is rich and open field" 1t
Is practically an unexplored field to
the manufacturers and merchants of
the South, largely, no doubt, because
of the lack of communication that
has hitherto been the rule. But that
there are tremendous possibilities in
1t is patent enough and. if the oppor-
tunity is offered to our people to de-
velop them, we can not believe that
they will neglect to improve it.
| The establishment Of line Of
communication between Charleston
and Colon is not only the opening of
the canal zone and the immediate re-
region about 1t to the business Of this
section, but the opening as well Of a
short line to the great countries on
the western coast of South America
The Panama railroad, from Colon to
Panama, a short stretch of about
twenty-five miles, brings the west
coast of South America within easy
reach. avoiding the long voyage
| around Cape Horn. Goods might be
shipped from Charleston to Santiago
de Chile. for example, by way Of CO.
lon and the Panama railroad, being,
perhaps, only about ten days in tran
sit. Shipments might be made, more
| over. to the Pacific ports of the Uni
ted States from the cotton mills in
South Carolina serving the Oriental
trade in almost as good time as they
now make by rail transportation
across the continent. Even as long
ago as the days Of the gold craze in
California. the isthmus of Panama
was a favOrite route for argonauts
from the eastern coast going to San
Francisco. and it is legitimate trade
route today, even in the face Of the
splendid railroad service across the
continent.
There are vast possibilities for the
business enterprise of this section in
the establishment Of a line of commu-
ricatiOn with Panama, and it is high
ly probable that the merchants and
manufacturers of the region for
which Charleston is the natural port
to foreign parts are to have an oppor-
tunity presented to them which they
will be dull, indeed, If they fail to
utilize to the very largest advantage
Charleston Post.