The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1911-01-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.

the celebration Of the completion Of the
Panastla Canal are at work in Washing
ton. San Francisco and New Orleans are
the cohtending cities. The capital Of The,
United States, where the exposition
should really be held, is not saying much.
| San Francisco Is hourishing seventeen
millions dollars as her claim. while New
Orleans with ten millions insist that this
amount will go farther owing to the
proximity Of that city To the rest Of the
world, than will seventeen millions on
| the Pacific slope. An advocate for New
Orleans puts it that Congress will be re-
Ispousible ID saying which city is most ac-
cessible 10 all the people Of the United
States, claiming that New Orleans is two
| thousand miles closer to the center of
| population and two thousand miles nearer
| TO Panama than San Francisco and the
latter city is more than three thousand
miles farther from the principal nations
which are likely to send exhibits. It is
claimed that the center Of population Of
! the United States IS near Cincinnati and
| five hundred miles from New Orleans,
while San Francisco is two thousand Eve
hundred miles from this center. Within
| nine hundred miles of New Orleans. it is
lsaid, there are seventy cities, with com
bined population Of seventy millions,
while within nine hundred miles OF San
Francisco are only eight cities and their
combined population is one million.
With Washington as starting point, It is
said that it takes four days to reach San
Francisco and only q little more than one
lday 10 reach New Orleans, while the cost
including sleeping berth to San Francisco
is $o3, and to New Orleans$33 All these
arguments to the pocket are important
but apply with still greater force to the
selection Of Washington, which is closer
to the population of the United States
and to the world than either New Orleans
or San Francisco. To those who have
followed the social, industrial and political
tendencies of the Pacific slope for the
last Eve years serious objection to hold
ling an international exposition in San
Francisco is that the city is rantankerous-
" opposed to the Japanese, Chinese and
other Orientais who necessarily make
such large part Of every international
deposition and that, should the exposition
be held there, there would be perpetual
danger Of artificial earthquakes more
serious in their ultimate effects than the
catastrophe which destroyed San Fran
cisco few years.ago.
i Statistics show that our exports TO
lchiua have declined from ffty-eight
millions Eve years ago 10 fifteen and one
half millions il 1910 The Chinaman is
frequently reEerredSto as an egnimatical
creature, but those who have studied him
lin his own habitat realize that there is
great deal of human nature Ia him and
THAT he has abundant shrewd common;
sense. The Chinaman is not first class
fighting man, but he is not nnresentful of
wrong. He has been outrageously treat
ed in this country and especially on the
Pacific coast and organized into unions
as European army is into regiments,
the word has gone forth to boycott
American wares. It is as nothing to the
average Chinaman or4to the Chinaman
much above the average. that this country
RENTED some millions of the Boxer in.
demuity. That was state affair, and
1.-THE average Chinaman knows nothing of
state affairs, and there is no word in the
Chinese language for patriotism because
the idea is totally nonresident in the
Celestial Kingdom.
~
It is beginning to be realized that we
are building the Panama Canal for Ger
lmaay. Great Britain, Japan and other
nations that carry freight by sea. II is
evident that the trading ships Of other
nations will use the waterway TO q much
greater extent than will the people Of this
fcountry. How can il be otherwise9 Our
ships, owing 10 the tariff and the high
price of labor. cost so per cent more than
the ships Of any other country. Our
sailors cost twice as much as those Of any
European country and Eve times as much
as, the wonderfully seasoned and COM
petent sailors Of Japan and China We
ceased suddenly to be maritime country
fifty years ago aud we will never
again, be a maritime country until we can
compete on a financial basis in ships and
men with European and Asiastic peoples.
The President has sent message to
Congress urging fertilization Of the
Panama Canal He wants Eve millions
of dollars to start the work. Nothing
will more quickly enlist sentiment in
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