Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-10-28
WATCHING
WORK At Panama
REGRET rINGEs COMMENT ON
CANAL, IT BEING FELT THAT
FRANCE LOST CHANCE.

iSthiHus more earnestly, perhaps,
than any other European country. Re-
greet that France could not have COM
pleted the work so nobly conceived
tlnges the appreciative comment Of
French observers on the completion
|of the vast enterprise.
The French government has made
a study of the effects of the opening
OF the canal on French commence
me ministries Of the navy, of COM
merce and the colonies have appoint.
ed commission Of four members, NJ
Jullld1ere, engineer in chief of the
board OF bridges and highways: M.
Douvry. an engineer in the bureau Of
arts and manufactures of the minis.
try OF commerce, and two naval Off.
GERS, Lieutenants HALTER and Byen-
ayme, to inquire into the effects Of
the opening Of the canal on French
shipping and trade in general, and
particularly on French colonies in the
Antilles and Oceania. The commits.
sion visited the canal zone and the
French colonies concerned, and ex-
amined and sifted an immense
amount Of material.
The commissioners. after full
consideration Of all the facts at their
disposal, have reported that French
commerce will not be greatly affected
by the canal. Only 100000 tons Of
French shipping will use the new
route during the first year of it's open
Ing, nor can the commission perceive
that French tonnage passing through
the canal will be likely to increase
greatly, because the French mercan-
tile marine generally tends rather
toward a reduction than an expansion.
England and Germany, who hold
the greater part of the maritime
transport trade, will be the principal
Immediate beneficiaries Of the canal,
but America will, In the opinion of
the commission, certainly take steps
to promote rapid growth Of her mer-
camille shipping.
One Of the most important conse-
quences Of the opening of the CANAL
the commission finds, will be not
merely to provide facilities for exist
ing commerce, but to create a new
traffic which will result in the
economic conquest of the Pacific and
the exploitation Of the natural riches
OF the western part Of the two Ameri-
can continents by the capital and in
dustry of the eastern states of the
union. The canal, the commission
predicts, will profoundly modify the
situation Of the Atlantic and the Gulf
of Mexico ports of the United States
from the point of view of the worlds
commerce. When the American manu-.
facturer has the same advantage In
respect to transport that he now has
in the cost Of production over his
European competitor, the worlds
markets will be his. The rapidity with
which business will increase in the
United States will have far-reaching
effects on the economic life Of
Europe, which will be obliged 20
transform present wasteful methods
into more scientific use of labor
The United States, the French gov
eminent Investigators affirm, will OBJ
tain AM incalculable advantage from
the new canal. and Europe may even
find its Industrial activity diminished.
While impossible to express In figures
the economic consequences, some con-
siderations are mentioned. The day
before the opening of the canal,
France, so far as transportation is
on the west coast of South America
than the eastern ports of the United
States. The day after the opening Of
the Panama canal, the situation will
be reversed. Guyaquil, Callao and Val
paraiso will be more than 1000 miles
nearer New York than to France, and
New Orleans 5000 miles. The cutting
of the 1sthmus will permit ships from
the eastern United States to reach far
eastern Australia more easily.
Europe benefits now, not only by
the non-opening of the Panama canal,
but by the existence Of the Suez
canal, but If the Americans will have
an advantage in their nearness to the
markets of the west coast Of South
America and Australia, foreign ships
will carry the imports and exports Of
the United States. should the condi-
tons now existing continue. Thus. the
commission finds. If Europe does not
benefit commercially by the opening
of the canal, certain nations possess
ing a powerful mercantile marine,
such as England and Germany will
have an important part in the
economic conquest Of the Pacific by
the Americans.
The French colonies in the West
Indies, the commission AYERS, are too
far out of the track Of commerce TO
count upon any great increase in traf-
fic Therefore. the commission does
not recommend large expenditures on
harbor improvements. In Oceania
the commissioners found that prac-
tically all ships going through the
canal to Australia and New Zealand
will necessarily call at Tahiti. and
recommend the expenditure of the
equivalent of s1,4Oo.0oO on the i'm
provement Of Papeete harbor Light
houses should be built, the channel
deepened and proper coaling sta
ton constructed.
The commission does not believe il
necessary to make extensive arrange
ments for coaling at Papeete. be-
cause, in its opinion and that of the
principal French shipowners con-
suited by the commission, the ex-
plosive oil engine for ships will en-
tirely supersede the steam engine
within from fifteen to twenty-five
years. While the passage of so many
more ships cannot fail to benefit the