The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-10-28
SECRETARY DANIELS
EXPLODES FALLACY
Declares Opening of Panama
Canal Will Not Double
Efficiency Of Fleet.
SPEAKS OF BENEFITS
Greatest Achievement OF the
Age Worth the Sacrifice
and Cost.
SPEAKS OF BENEFITS

MOBILE, Ala, Oct. 27.-Concedlng
the vast benefits that will accrue TO
commerce through the opening OF the
Panama canal, Secretary Daniels told
delegates to the Southern Commercial
congress tonight that the opening
would not double the efficiency OF the
navy. He denied claims that the In
creased mobility of the fleets would
add so much to the sea power OF the
United States He acknowledged, how
ever. that such mobility would render
the navy more efficient.
SIN the long campaign to induce the
American people 10 pay the millions
necessary to construct an lsthmian
canal - said the secretary, one OF the
strongest arguments for the large eX,
penditure was that such a canal would
double the efficiency of the navy. We
were told also that it would make for
efficiency in the army and make the
United States the dictator of the west
ern hemisphere and the mistress OF the
seas
Now that the canal is nearing com.
pletion and the day is near at hand
when ships will sail from San Fran
cisco to the Caribbean in about 24O
hours, as against 1924 hours II took the
Oregon TO sail around Cape Horn, we
are told that the building of the canal
demands twice as large navy as for.
merlv and that control of the canal
demands p large standing army OF the
isthmus. ~
Frenchman's Mistake.
Secretary Daniels referred to the
declaration of Count Maurice de
Perigny, a celebrated French explorer,
that hthis gigantic and remarkable
work of the United States is insufficient
" protected in military sense: - The
Frenchman calculated that $4,000 men
would barely be sufficient to guard the
waterway.
'SBut in these statements" Secre-
tary Daniels continued, Gas in almost
all other things, the truth lies between
two extravagant assertions, The canal
will not double the effectiveness of
our navy, bnt it will greatly increase
the ability to defend every part of
tho coast on the Pacific as well as on
the Atlantic. it will not multiply the
numbers of the army. 1t Will make
necessary Notifications and troops, but
il need not be nearly so expensive or
distinguished F'renchman predicts.
"No great achievement comes with
out sacrifice and cost, but the benefits
10 be derived Will be worth the mod
crate cost its protection and operation
will require in all the years to come,
and with the expansion OF trade the
benefits will increase a hundredfold,
whereas the expense will remain prac-
iically stationary,
SIashes Distances.
''The Panama canal is mammoth
carving knife that cuts and slasbes
distances in record breaking way,
And cutting and slashing the distance
between New York and San Francisco
means to revolutionize naval. as well
as commercial conditions. The mill
tary significance of the canal, of
course, is that it enables the quick
movement of the fleet from either
ocean 70 the other in time of war.
at Will be the most vital chord in
that system of trausference by which
the navy of the United States can come
promptly to the support on either coast
of the local defenses. With a com
petent navy, and with the canal
secured. not merely as TO tenure, but
with guns Of such range as TO insure
deployment III the open sea at either
end-a necessary condition of all sea
coast rtifcation-invasion will not be
attempted. for il can lead TO no ade-
Quate results. Without the canal il
would require four months for an At
lantic feet 20 round Cape Horn into the
upper Pacific; with the canal it will re-
quire less than four weeks -
Trip of the Oregon.
Secretary Daniels, referring TO the
Spanish American war days. lauded the
battleship Oregon's hazardous trip Of
1900 miles in record breaking time,
declaring the cruise helped powerfully
10 build the canal.
''the navy-the chief cause which led
sail proudly through the majestic
waterway from the Atlantic 10 the Pa
cifc Headed by the Oregon. the i'm
posing feet will teach 10 all the world
the fact that the navy of the republic,
long anchored in one ocean, has hoisted
anchor and is equally at home on the
Atlantic and the Pacific. the protector
and defender of American honor and
American interests.
"If IL be given to those who have
gone before 10 look ont Of the windows
OF the skies and find happiness in the
doings of this world. the heart OF John
T. Morgan will thrill rs he sees the
realization of dream that took him
out of lowlands OF thought and gave
him the vision that comes only TO those
who live upon the mountain tops Of
public duty and OF private thinking.
where they are given the power 20
prophesy and dream dreams