The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-09-13
VALUE OF THE PANAMA CANAL

VALUE OF THE PANAMA CANAL.
Colonel Goethels, the Panama canal
engineer, declares the canal will be
finished in 1915 and that 1t will be
worth many times what the govern
ment is paying for 1t. The hurry of
railroads to reach the gulf indicates
that they appreciate its value.
In answer to a query as to what
the United States will get for its in
vestment OF 100000. Colonel
Goethels said:
81 am an army man. / look at
the canal from a military standpoint
solely. The day 1t is opened for the
passage OF a battleship the effective
ness of the American navy will be
doubled. The cost of construction
and maintenance OF the canal will be
less to the people Of the United States
than the cost and maintenance of two
powerful battleship fleets, one for the
Atlantic. the other for the Pacific.
"Ships can go from the Atlantic
through the canal to San Francisco
In about IA days. II took the Oregon
AZ days to make the trip around the
horn at the outbreak OF the Spanish
war. Two-thirds of the time would
be saved in transferring a feet from
one ocean to the other In case of
necessity.
"If that canal" pointing to a map
on which was traced the route OF the
ditch across the Isthmus of Panama,
had none other than military value,
AZ would Justify eveny dollar it is to
cost the American people. 1t affords
a safe, quick, practical route for the
transfer of a defending feet from one
coast of the country to the other; II
offers the same route for the transfer
OF supplies, munitions and men. 1t
gives security. But it has other
values.
81 can't talk to you of its CONNER
cial value. Get some statistics to do
that. have not given that question
any thought. To my mind II is guess
work. II must depend on mang
things. Among them, or course, will
be the tolls for the use OF the canal.
81 take II you can cneek the de-
yelopment of commerce by making
these tolls excessive, and you can
stimulate commerce BY having them
reasonable. But don't know much
about that phase OF the question.
81 do know, however, that the
Hamburg-American packet line has
taken steps already to secure the
privilege OF using the canal when
completed. This company is Compel
ing with our Panama line. II has a
line of steamships on the west coast
of South America and seems to be
building up a good trade.
Colonel Goethels branched of to
say regretfully:
There are only a few merchant
ships flying -he American flag. 1t
should not be so. I would like to see
this country as energetic along this
line as the Germans We should have
ships under the American flag search
ing for and carrying that trade" said
Colonel Goethels. with a sweep OF his
hand to the south ana west.
who can estimate the value of
coastwise water traffic that may seek
the canal or be built up because of
the canal: Railroads do not oppose
water transportation. II liz of the
bulkier kind as a rule, and the rail-
roads would rather have some other
carrier handle II. In foreign coun-
tries I have noticed that water rates
have the effect Of controlling or regu-
lating railroad rates.
at would be guesswork to attempt
to estimate the value OF the trade
that may in the future be built up
with the South American countries or
with China and Japan and others OF
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