The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-08-22
DULUTH AN OCEAN PORT
WITHIN NEXT TWENTY YEARS
This Is the Prediction Made by One of the Leading Vesseen
Of the Zenith Cfy-WOuld Double u. 5. Navy's
Fighting Power

The building Of the Panama cana
makes it a certainty that Duluth Wi
be an ocean seaport within twent
years.
That is the way one of the leadini
Vesselmen of Duluth, who has givel
deep thought to the problem of con
Meeting the lakes with the ocean by
deep waterway sizes up the situation
IN The Duluth News Tribune.
There is no way out Of it." h,
continued. 1.-THE government might
not care to construct a deep cana
from the lakes to tidewater Just to
accommodate the interests engaged
IN maritime commerce or to make the
cost OF living less for the $4,000 600
OF people whom they serve directly
or indirectly. The project will cost
whole lot Of money, and the peo-
PIES representatives go slow where
millions Of golden dollars are TO he
gathered by taxation for any under
taxing. But the waterways plan will
De carried out, nevertheless. The
United States will be compelled for
hundred years at least to main
tain one OF the worlds greatest
navies. That navy will be ineffective
/ without a great fleet Of American
owned transports to serve it in case
OF foreign war. The only place
these transports are to be had is on
the lakes, and the government must
provide way to get them to tide
water. The only way is a deep canal
from the lower end Of the lakes to the
ocean.
1t Is an open secret that the Pana-
ma canal is not being constructed
wholly for the good 1t will do com
merce, although commerce will nrofi+
greatly by it. A strong rival nation
has sprung up in the orient. We
nave territory very close to the
boundaries Of that nation which its
people needed to take care Of a srrplus
population. 1t is entirely probable
that they will try to get possession
OF 1t. Practically every news letter
from the east tells us that thew are
even now bending every effort to-
ward preparing for such an event
ana that their preparations indicate
IAat they intend to accomplish their
purpose by resort to the strong
arm. The construction to the Papa-
ma dltch Is being hurried in antlcipa-
Lloh or the conflict. The United
states does not care to have its navy
4o'OOO miles from the scene when
the first blow is struck, nor does ~
care TO leave any of it's coasts hare
ana at the mercy Of a powerful enc
my The construction Of the Pana-
ma canal finished and fortified orr
neets OF warships, stationed on either
coast in its vicinity would be IN a
position to act quickly and in CON
cert no matter whether danger tbraat-
ened In the Atlantic or the Pacific
TN order to be in positior, e.
cope with a powerful foe, to protact
all our coast line and arrows 49,
merce on the high seas the protection
u "Hlch II is entitled, it must have
"lue range OF action, and to insure
tlllS great fleet of transports is as
necessary oattleships and cruisers. We
nave no. SUCH fleet on salt water. nor
Ale we likely to have for many years
TO come Uncle Sam must come to the
lakes FOR his transports. Here ba has
the greatest fleet Of commerce carriers
IN the world. Ten thousand vessels NJ |
great tonnage are at his disposal on |
the inland waters. The lakes can |
xurnlsh on demand fleet large enough |
TO transport a million men. with their |
and armament, to any foreign
sea coast in the world in one trim
This tremendous fleet can be as
sembled at any point on the great =,
lakes fourteen days after receiving +bn
order to mobolize. The one thing nee
essary Is to get them to the ocean. The
means to do this must be provided
Uncle Sam will provide for this. In
deed he must do so. 1t is a question
OF national safety. To neglect II
would be to endanger the future ne
the country, to run the risk OF los
ing the control Of the Pacific with
Its great and ever increasing com
MERGE, and to sink into the position NJ
second class power.
The construction of a deem chan
mel from the lakes to the ocean wo,,1d
DO a costly undertaking, but not such
AZ TO cause nation with the wealth
and resources of the United States to
pause, when the stakes to be PLAYED
.or are so great.
Long before the newest aspect oP