Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-03-10

date for the opening, the government
has been quietly working out plans
concerning another phase Of the great
canal enterprise, plans by which, it Is
expected, this country will be able to
reap the full commercial results of
the opening of the link between the
oceans and come into possession OF
that great trade empire in the south
ern hemisphere which up till now has
belonged largely to our foreign trade
rivals.
These plans, which have to do with
the docking and transfer facilities at
the two ends Of the canal, are in some
respects as important as those Of the
actual canal prism. Without them,
in the opinion of shipping experts
whom President Taft has consulted,
the canal might stand as a tremend-
Gus monument to the altruism of
nation and not much else so far as re-
CARDS any advantage this country
might secure over its European rivals
In the trade of South America. One
of the aims which the administration
now has in the development of this
phase of the enterprise is to preclude
the possibility of the canal serving
only to tighten the grip which Europe
now has upon markets which should
be ours. AS it was expressed the other
day by a shipping man, the question
now is: Shall the canal pay the divi-
dends it ought to pay?"
With Germany and Great Britain
equipped as they are with ocean car
riers and their trade tentacles already
fastened upon South America, the pos
sibility that the canal might see
steady procession of ships flying for
eign flag has not been lost sight Of
by those who planned the canal nor by
some of the American shipping inter
ests naturally concerned in the mat
ter.
Gigantic Docks Planned.
Because of the Importance of the
work which has to do with the actual
digging Of the canal itself not much
public attention has been invited to
the plans which have been forming
for the utilization of the canal as
trade factor About the first public
intimation of the extent of these plans
came at the conference of the Pan
American Trade Union in Washington
when Bernard n. Baker of Baltimore,
who has been intimately connected
with this phase Of the canal work
from its inception, outlined to the
conference the government plans for
what it is believed will be the most
complete system of docks and har-
bors In the world
The system of docks described by
Mr.. Baker and upon which work al
ready has started will embrace both
the Atlantic and the Pacific end of
the canal Their initial cost will be
in the neighborhood of $4,000, 900.
In order that this country may not
be outstripped at the very start of the
race for trade which will follow the
opening Of the waterway the plan is
to have this work at least half COM
Pleted by the time the canal is opened
and In such state as to be available
for commercial purposes.
The docks proposed for Panama
might be compared to a junction on a
great trunk line, a distributing point
for local freight. The advantage of
having such a system of docks in con-
nection with the canal was really not
foreseen at the time the enterprise
was begun. Beyond protecting the
entrances by breakwaters nothing was
considered except to construct the
canal itself and leave it open to the
nations of the world to get what ad-
vantage they could out Of it-a fair
field and no favors. as it were.
Expert Opinion Sought.
With work actually started on the
canal, however, the question of It's
proper utilization began to loom up
pretty large. The first man to con-
slider this aspect seriously was Mr..
Roosevelt's secretary of war, Luke E.
Wright Mr.. Roosevelt also became
interested, and together they sent for
Mr.. Baker. the organizer and builder
OF the Atlantic Transport line, who
since his retirement from business has
taken deep interest in this country's
commercial development and has been
regarded as an expert on the subject.
! Mr.. Baker quickly pointed out to
Dir. Roosevelt and Secretary Wright
that the canal enterprise lacked a
! business end. which it should have:
! that 1t should embrace some system
| Of docks the advantage of which could
be seized by this country's shipping.
Given such a system of docks, said
Nr. Baker, permitting the transfer of
! south and Central American freight