New-York tribune., 1910-12-09
THE Use OF THE CANAL.

The opeuing of the Panama Canal to
commerce is now not more than five. and
pprbans not more than three. years
away, and already. as is not only htung
but imperative practical plans for its
Use as a highway of commerce are being
made. It is not at all surprising. new
ever. to see that these are chiefly being
made in other lands than ours It should
pot he so 1t is cur canal. built by us.
owned bv Us. controlled by us and de
Tended by Us. in accordance with our
consistent and approved policy of thirty
years. Yet our backWardnesS IN ocean
borne commerce in sad contrast 10 the
conditions of many years ago, when we
led the world. affords To cur more en-
terprisinc rivals an opportunity TO pre-
pare for the major use of the great III
teroceanic link. For years the ships of
several European nations have been far
more numerous than ours at Colon, ana
they are now III spite of the Increased
American activity caused by the work
on the canal: and the outlook IS that
the opening Of the canal will nnd Il
number of lines belonging 10 other ma
tions ready and waiting TO utilize it,
while we ourselves may he in the same
pIiehr that this city was in at the open
ing of the Manhattan Bridge-in pos
session of a splendid thor0ughfare. but
with no vehicles 10 traverse it,
Whatever commerce goes through the
canal between our own TWO coasts Will
of course. have 30 be under onr own
fiac, and it is to he hoped that 1t VIII
be considefah BILE. though we should feel
more reassured if preparations for such
traffic on Il large scale, which cannot
be made in a day. were percepuoly III
progress. But however great that trai-
fic NAV be- that is not all that we want
the canal for. We want II for com
merce with those great and growing
REPUBLICS on the west coast OF eouth
America. with which our relations
should he intimate instead Of remote,
and which when the canal is open VIII
be only one-thiri or one-fOurth as far
away as they ROW arc. ct 1t i pre-
ciselv that commerce which our rivals
are preparing to appropriate it has
long been notorious that the bulk Of
commerce from New York and other
American ports TO Brazil. and Argentina
goes under alien flags. Now Great
Britain, Japan and other nations are
actively preparing to convey under their
fl gs our commerce between New ork
and Peru and Chill through the canal
which we are building.
We suppose that there are some who
will rail at those nations for SO doing.
They will see in the British lines be
tween New York and Callao what they
regard rs traditional British enmity
against US. and in the Japanese lines
between New York and Valparaiso
menace of the yellow Peril: all Of which
will be what emphatic rhetoricians call
fomnyrot. It is stupid and worse TO
suspect other nations for doing what
we might do and should do but are too
indolent or unenterprising or short
sighted to do. and to impute sinister or
evil purposes to those who are Simply
outstripping ms in open and free com
netition. Our government is setting be-
fore the world a monumental example
Of energy and efficiency in the building
OF the canal The nation viii incur re-
I,roach and loss if it is not equally en-
ergetic and efficient in utilizing the canal
when It is finished.