Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-09-03

164 square miles. This work is ad-
vancing steadily and just as success
fully as the work on the Culebra cut.
The water which is ultimately to
fill the lock is now flowing through the
concrete spillway in the center of the
dam, the Chagres having been divert
ed from its bed and placed under COM
plete control. The construction of the
dam has advanced sufficiently to con-
vince the engineers I'm charge of the
work of its aAsolute stability and i'm
nervousness. The concrete work on
the lock is advancing so rapidly that
the first double set at Gatun win be
completed this coming November, and
the engineer in charge has announced
that all the concrete in all the locks
Will be in place two years hence.
The date of final completion and
formal opening Of the canal to the
commerce of the world will be deter
mined by the time consumed in plac-
ing the great steel gates, emergency
dams and all appliances for operating
the docks. But those in charge of the
work announce without hesitation that
everything will be finished well in adj
vance of Jan. 1. 1915.
Stupendous Achievement.
This is a stupendous record Of
achievement. AS people we are
rather fond of criticising- ourselves
and sometimes with very great jus
tee, but even the most pessimistic crit
ic should sometimes think of what is to
~ ho
past ten years will be placed the ex-
traordinary ability. integrity and sue
cess with which we have handled all
the problems inherited as the result of
the Spanish war, the way we have
handled ourselves in the Philippines, in
Cuba, in Porto Rico, in San Domingo
and in Panama
The cruise of the battle feet around
the world was a striking proof that we
had made good with the navy, and
what we have done at Panama repre-
sents the, accomplishment of one Of the
great feats of the ages. 1t is a feat
which reflects the highest honor upon
our country, and our gratitude is due
to every man who has taken an hon.
orable part in any capacity in bring
ing about its performance.
Fortify the Canal
We now have a further duty to per
form in connection with il, and that is
to fortify it. We are in honor bound
to fortify it ourselves, and only by so
doing can we effectively guarantee its
neutrality and, moreover, effectively
guarantee that IT shall not be used
against us.
The chief material advantage-cer-
tainly one of the chief material advan-
tage5-which we shall gain by its con-
struction is the way in which IT Will
for defensive purposes double the pow
er Of the United States navy.
To refuse to fortify it and, above all,
to consider for a moment such an act
of utter weakness and folly as TO in
v1te other nations to step in and guar
antee the neutrality of this purely
American work (and thereby really to
make 1T certain that in the event of
war we should find the canal used
against US, as our fleets would be for
hidden to pass through it or else our
opponents fleets permitted to) would
be to incur, and quite rightfully, the
contempt of the world. 1t would mean
the complete abandonment of the Mon
roe doctrine, it would be a wicked
blow to our prestige on the Pacific,
and, moreover. it would be in its es-
sence treason to the destiny of the re-
public.