New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-31
Several of the Great Rail
Transportation Systems
Concentrating Their
Efforts Upon
the Port.

tIIC Wv.
Mobile. Dee IS l$l.-To the students
OF world affairs there is no subject that
at the moment. presents more. or more
important. fields for inquiry and specuia-
ton than the Panama Canal as 'poten-
tial
The time is rapidly nearing when IT VIII
itself afford the solution. But the guiding
mentalties In the councils Of nations es-
pecially the captains Of industry ana OF
commerce and it's argosies. may not await
content.wth mere theorizlng, the auSpiclous
day when the last stroke OF the work shall
have been done. and the meeting of the two
gres; oceans shall have joined Orient with
Occident. Theirs the task 10 prepare for
the vast changes that must ensue changes
that must vitany affect the destinies they
direct and control
As I'm our latter day civilization, the
policies Of the nations are inspired of and
founded upon commerce and its collateral
interests. these must hold first place in
every discussion through which it Is sought
10 glimpse the eventual solution of this mo-
mentous problem.
Since. in the revolution Of world traffic
that will be brought about by this, the
United States magnificent contribution 10
the worlds service il is generally conceded
for reasons so known Of all the lead
ers OF the worlds commercial activities
that il would he work Of supererogaton
TO explain. and so numerous that space
could not be spared for them here-that
traffic must eventually centre in the Gull
Of Mexico. another question Immediately
presents itself: (Which city, among the
several ambitious and enterpris.rG ones
ali greatly favored as 10 geographical posi-
ton and cnvironment-now racing for com
mercial supremacy Of the Gulf will be the
latter's chief seaport
And To no classes OF business Is TINS
question of more importance than 10 those
the leaders OF whch-thc world over--so
largely comprise The Tribunc's clientele
For that reason is presented here the claims
OF one Of these cities to be. in itself the
answer A careful review Of these claims
may prove as eervCeable to this paper 5
readers as IL certainly should be interest
ing.
But il may he asked. why the chief
seaport? Why not principal ports?
History furnishes the answer II has al
WAYS been that on the discovery and settle
mcnt Of a coast. or upon its assumption of
importance TO world trade, greater or
lesser number Of ports-accOrding TO cir
cumstancc-havc been tried out. as 1t
were. and that. later, upon one has the
world eventually concentrated its atten-
tion.
True in tho sense OF its having been long
inhabited. the Mexican Gulf coast of the
United States is not new field, but in the
matter Of attainment it has Jagged be-
hind its rivals. the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts. and for reasons that are not far
90 seek
Opposed TO the civilization Of Europe, the
Atlantic coast first had It's innings.
With the dawn of the open door" era
Of the Far East, the Pacific coast begun
to get its real growth:
I'm the first case the hOnors of the struggle
GOV position appeared at different periods
to rest with one and then with another OF
it's ports until. eventually, world commerce
declared New York the victor. In the sec
ond it wreathcd San Francisco
II is not derogatory Of the pluck, enter
prise or intelligence of the citizens Of the
one or Of the other to say that they have
played a minor part IN terminating the
struggle: for the simple truth is that the
worlds needs have ever decided such issues.
The Panama Canal will give the Gulf
coast its inning. Which. then, is TO be its
chief seaport
benjamin Thurley, the very able and
patriotic secretary of the Joint Rivers and
Harbor Committee of this city's commercial
bodies. and Of the Chamber of Commerce,
is responsible for so many Of the sugges-
tons. and is the source of SO much of the
information contained in this article. that
he may Justly be said to be a collaboration.
His zeal in the service of Mobile is Only
eoualled by his exhaustive knowledge of
export trade and transportation conditions
here. and by his clearsighted estimate Of
the ports value to world commerce)
The Hon. John Tyler Morgan once said
that with canal built, Alabama would
become the front porch of the nation. and
Mobile would be the front step"
Her claims TO the superior strategic posi-
ton. with reference to the Panama Canal,
and, 10y consequence, to world trade. rest
upon both expert opinion and established
facts As her able Representative in Con-
gress the Hon. G. w. Taylor has tersely
said. she is the short cut, by deep water,
from the most potential and promising
trade in the world" as she is ALSO the
shor cut by land to deep water for exports
OF the West. particularly Of the Middle
West, the present centre Of American popu-
lstion for which she is a natural and logi-
cal Lort"
me is nearer TO Colon than is any one
81 her competitors. there being 1871 miles
between her and that canals terminus. as
against Baltimores 1865, Norfolk's 1901.
Chareston's 16j3, Savannah's 1853, New
Orleans's 1880 and GalvestOn's 1,iSl. as was
shown in an article Din "COler's'D by MT
Bernard y. Baker In the same article
IL was also shown that both New Orleans
and Mobile are much shorter steaming dis
lance than Liverpool TO Colon than is any
one OF the other cities above mentioned
But while there's no great difference be-
tween the distances from New Orleans and
from Mobile. in either case, there must
always be taken into account the los miles
Of river 10 be traVersed 10 and from the
former as against the thirty-two miles in
an open bay at Mobile.
MOBILES MAGNIFICENT BAY.
Mobile Bay. which is some twenty eight
miles in length by twenty in greatest width.
and twelve in least opens directly upon
the Gulf of Mexico. It's lower feet anchor
age" Is spacious and well sheltered basin.
hag