Evening star., 1911-01-12

Ine national security to come from nay a.
control Of the canal and the prohtaoie
trade development which is made possi-
BILE by the canals existence are to repay
the four hundred millions invested by US
| In our isthmus property.
| For naval purposes the canal brings the
Atlantic and Pacific together. Is the
United States or some other nation IN the
Pacific or Atlantic to derive benent IN
naval Strengthening from this union? The
west coast Of the American continent Will
| be brought in close connections not only
with New York. but with Liverpool ana
Hamburg. Which will profit most In COM
| merce by this ity-increaslng
work, the United States. which pays for
1t, or non-contributing England or Ger
many?
An American Canal.
The United States is TO decide promptly
whether the canal which 1t builds Is In
case OF a war in which it is involved to
be of as much (or as little) service to the
| enemy as to itself; or is. on the other
! hand. in such emergency to be available
and utilized solely to facilitate its own
naval movements and increase its own
naval strength. If the decision is against
| a full naturalization of universal appllca-
| tion, guaranteed by the nations or the
world. and in favor of an American canal
| in any war to which the United States
| is a party then the canal property must
| be strongly fortified. In any war to
which neither the United States nor PAN
| anna is party the canal would be neu-
| tral. and it would he to this restricted
neutrality that the treaty declarations on
| the subject would be construed to refer.
| BY liberal appropriations. by wise general
| legislation and by treaty modification or
supplemental any be necessary or de-
| sirable-all surrounding conditions should
| be SO nodded that in the event of HOSTILE
| ties the canal can be effectively defended
and used to our exclusive advantage.
Commercially, so far as trade with
South America is concerned, the canal
| will doubtless be highway for all the
world on equal terms. But commercial
America must SO equip and instruct itself
and place itself in such relations with its
potential South American customers that
| it will benefit to the uttermost by this
great work, securing its proper share of
the vastly expanding west coast trade
Commercial America must learn the
Spanish language and South American
business methods and customs and prej,l-
dices, and must meet as far IS possible
The wishes, even whimsical, of its would
be customers. In this branch of cOm<
mercial education we can go to school to
the Germans, who through expertness in
1t are cutting into English trade, and
blocking seriously the pathway Of Amer
lean commercial progress in South Amer
lea When the canal is completed there
should be direct communication between
American and west coast ports by Amer
lean controlled ships to give our Atlantic
and gulf cities the full benefit of their
close proximity to this scene Of CONNER
cial warfare. We should have the ships
as we'll as the goods, and the attention
and good will of our hoped-for customers.
The diplomatic and consular representa-
tives Of the United States in South
efficient in promoting those relations be-
tween the North and South American
Peoples that tend to develop the trade and
increase the prosperity of both continents.
The Pan-American Union formerly the
International Bureau of American Repub-
lics) is doing fine work in bringing closer
together the American peoples and
nations in knowledge of and regard for
one another. distinctly promoting the
common welfare. =
Whatever Uncle Sam may do or leave
und0ne, he will not be guilty of the i'm
becility of spending $4OO,OOO,O 600 to
strengthen relatively in some emergency
the naval arm of Japan or Germany more
ing this money in a project to promote
commerce and then Of so neglecting
American opportunities in fair competi-
tion as to cause this expenditure to bene-
fit more greatly the trade of Germany or
England than that of the United States.
BY his frequent visits to the canal and
by the prominence which he gives to it in
his speeches and messages to Congress
President Taft shows that he measures
accurately and adequately the Importance
Vi tIIS NOTh AiIioHS the great pFOJeCtS OF
his administration. Washingtonians, in
deed all good Americans, should, like the
President. appreciate the canal work and
be proud of it, and cooperate heartily to
derive maximum of national benefit
from it. January l, 1915. or the day of
the formal opening of the canal, when
ever it may be, will mark a new historic
date Of vast significance in the republics s
and the worlds calendar.
A Heatless Equator.