The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-14

| shipyard is at Camden, N. J., for the
| construction of two battleships one IN
. each shipyard, for Argentina's navy
/ 1t was announced by the Argentine
| government that the bids for the pro-
posed new battleships would be opensd
| in London and the general expectation
was that the Wickers-Maxim company
which had been so successful in con-
structing English battleships would
receive the contract with Argentina
Some things indicated that Argentina
herself expected that the Wickers-
Maxim bid would be the one which the
government would be compelled to ac-
cept.
The American shipbuilders learned
as they thought that if there was COM
petition with the Wickers- Maxim COM
pany then that company would not dare
to bid at a price which represented IL
much smaller cost for the construction
of the Argentina dreadnaughts than
was paid for building the new English
dreadnaughts. Therefore the American
shipbuilders made careful computations
for the purpose of getting at hgureS
which would be considerably less tnan
the great English shipbuilders had ask
ed for the construction of English
dreadnaughts. The Americans did NOS
believe that the English shipbuildeis
would care to put in bids at much
smaller figure than those upon which
they obtained the English contracts
found that the American ShipbuilderS
hSd made prices so much less than the
English had done that Argentina was
compelled to give the contract to the
Fore River and the Camden ship
yards Yet, Notwithstanding the low
American bids, these battleships are
understood to have been built at
handsome profit for the shipbuilding
companies. In the case of the contem-
plated Russian dreadnaughts, that
government has evidently thought IL
the better part to award contracts for
two of these gigantic dreadnaughts
to the American shipbuilders and 10
place with the Wickers- Maxim COM
pany the contract for the construction
of the other two. The four Russian
dreadnaughts will cost approximately
so million dollars, and France has been
appealed to to lend the money needed
upon the security of Russian bonds.
Eric Canal in 1915.
When the agitation began for i'm
provement or enlargement of the Erie
canal it was not known whether the
United States would decide to con-
struct a canal across Nicaragua or
across the isthmus of Panama. In fact,
it was very doubtful whether our go%-
eminent would undertake a national
work of that kind at all. Curiously
enough, the greatly enlarged and prac-
; tical1y rebuilt Erie canal will be rea ~
for navigation by barges in the year
1915 and a part of the canal system
known as the Champlain section, which
. is to connect Lake Champlain with the
navigable waters of the Hudson, Will
be ready for use in the year 1914. The
barges which are to be used upon the
Champlain canal. a section of the en-
tire canal system which is to be so
miles long, will draw IL feet of water
and be nearly 800 feet long. These
barges will be chiefly used for the
transportation of ore from the LARGE
iron mining districts which skirt Lake
Champlain to New York harbor. 1t
this happens, therefore, unless some
unforeseen calamity prevent, then the
greatest of internal, artificial water
ways, which will furnish water trans
-portation for large boats from the great
lakes to New York harbor will be
operation only a little later than the
Panama canal will be opened to naviga-
ton. HOLLAND.