The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-10-29
THE CANAL MYTH,

Secretary Daniels is engaged in dis
sipating some of our dreams about the
Panama Canal. For years the canal has
been our most fascinating subject OF
speculation. 1t has been sort of story
out of some new fairy book, a story
that we could change at will at every
turning point Of the imagination.
While conceding vast commercial
benefits to accrue from the canal, Sec
retary Daniels has considered it timely
10 disabuse our minds of the notion
that the canal will double the efficiency
of the navy. He admits that the eff
ticiency will be greatly increased be-
cause the trip that now requires four
months around the horn can be made
in as many weeks when the canal is
completed, but even so great a gain in
time will not compensate for the lack
of drcadnoughts. Apparently the Prcsi-
dent has been needing the voice of
Daniels rather than that Of Bryan, the
apostle of peace, in forming his
naval policy. Recently it was an
nounced that the President had
abandoned the traditional Democratic
opposition to an elaborate naval pro.
gramme, and had declared in favor of
the three -battleship plan. If it were
true that the canal would double the
efficiency of the navy then the Presi
dent really would be favoring a six
battleship plan.
We are reminded. however, that the
building Of the canal means continu-
ing economy in naval expenditure.
Were the Panama Canal TO be de-
stroyed by an earthquake it would be-
come necessary for the United States
within the next few years to build two
navies, one for the Atlantic and one
Tor the Pacific.
But Secretary Daniels has not Who'll.
y robbed us of our dreams. While we
may no longer indulge in unrestrained
imagiuings of military prowess as a re-
suit of the canal we can continue 20
speculate upon the commercial trans.
formation that is 10 be wrought by the
completion Of the titanic waterway
The Atlantic has not always been the
chief sea of commerce. In fact, a few
hundred years tells almost the whole
story of the Atlantic s predominance.
And Just as the commercial balance was
transferred from the Mediterranean to
the Atlantic, so. we may well believe.
the time is not remote when the center
Of commercial gravity will have been
shifted TO the Pacific.
Just what trade transformations will
result from the canal. no man can tell, |
There is just as much mystery and un-
certainty about it as there is about
changing the tariff. And so in lieu of
data we have been content TO satiate
our imaginations with roseate dreams
Doubtless some of them will come true.
but which ones there is no prophet TO
foretell- All we know is that the meta. |
morphosis of trade is bound to sur
pass all that we can conjecture.
III was only the other day that Roose. |
volt expressed the nope that If there
must be interference by outside nations
IN the affairs Of the Latin republics
the United States and tho great nation
of Brazil might act Jointly Who can
tell but that the prestige Of Argentina |
and Brazil will wane when the canal is |
Finished and that there win grow up /
along the western cOas; OF South Amer. |
lca nations that Cor power and pros !
pcrity VIII overshadow Brazil as thai |
country is now oversbadowed bv the |
United States?
All dreams! Aye. but whether these
dreams come true or not one can safely |
predict that what does come true will !
bc stranger and more inspiring than
any Of our dreams Of TODAY.