The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-25
As Seen From the Viewpoint OF
European Nations.
WILL DO LITTLE FOR FRANCE
England and Germany Will be
the Chief Beneficiaries.
The Traffic Through Suez May
Be Reduced Slightly.

country. Regret that France coulu
not have completed the work so nooly
conceived tinges the appreciat1Ve COM
ment of French observers on the coiii-
pletion of the vast enterprise
The French government has made
study of the effects of the opening OF
the canal on French commerce. Ihe
ministries of the navy, OF commerce
and the colonies appointed a commls-
sion of four members, M. Juliidlere'
engineer in chief of the board of bridges
and highways; NJ. Douvry, an engineer
in the bureau of arts and manufactures
of the ministry of commerce, ana TWO
naval officers, Lieutenant Haller anu
Byenayme, to inquire into the e11ects
of the opening of the canal on french
shipping and trade in general, and par
ticularly on French colonies in the
Antilles and Oceania. The commission
visited the canal zone and the French
colonies concerned, and examined ana
sifted an immense amount OF mater
ial.
The commissioners. after full con-
sideration of all the facts at their dis
posal. have reported that French COM
merce 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 opening, nor can
the commission perceive that French
tonnage passing through the canal will
be likely to increase greatly, because
the French mercantile marine general
ly tends rather toward reduction than
an expansion.
England and Germany who hold the
greater part of the maritime trans
port trade, will be the principal imme-
date beneficiaries of the canal, but
America will. in the opinion of the
commission, certainly take steps to pro-
mote a rapid growth of her mercantile
shipping.
New Traffic.
One of the most important cOnse-
quences of the opening of the canal, |
the commission finds, will be not mere
ly to provide facilities for existing
commerce, but to create new traf- |
fc which will result in the economic |
conquest of the Pacific and the exploit |
tation of the natural riches of the |
western part of the two American con- |
tinents by the capital and industry of |
the eastern states of the Union. The |
canal. the commission predicts, will |
profoundly modify the situa ton of the !
Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico ports |
of the United States from the point CT |
view of the worlds commerce. When |
the American manufacturer has the |
same advantage in respect to transport |
that he now has in the cost of produc-
ton over his European competitor the |
worlds markets will be his The rap
idity with which business will increase
in the United States will have far /
reaching effects on the economic life
OF Europe, which will be obliged to
transform present wasteful methods
into more scientific use of labor
The United States, the French gov
eminent investigators affirm, will OBJ
tain an 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
slderations are mentioned The daV
before the opening of the canal.
france, so far as transportation IS
concerned, will be nearer to all points
on the west coast of South Americ,
than the eastern ports of +be TTnit.,7
states The day after the opening of
the Panama canal, the situation viii
De reversed Guayaquil, Callao and
valparaiso will be more than 1000
liIiles nearer New York than to France,
ana New Orleans 5000 miles The cut !
ting of the isthmus will permit sbins
from the eastern United States n !
fly --' iiioie cd
Benefit to Europe
Europe benefits now, not only by
non-openlng of the Panama canal. but
10y the existence of the Suez canal b,,+
III the Americans will have an advan-
tage in their nearaess to the markets
OF the west coast of South America /
anu ; Austraha' foreign ships will carry
states should the conditions now ex-
listing continue. Thus, the commits
sion finds, if Europe does NOT benafi+
commercially by the opening of the
canal, certain nations POSSESSING a
powerful mercantile marine such &C
England and Germany will have an
important part in the econornic CON
quest OF the Pacific by the Americans. |
french colonies in the West I
Indies, the commission AYERS ara 80 /
1ar out of the track of commerce 70
Couht upon any great increase in traf-
nc therefore, the commission docs
ilol recoIllrnend large expenditures on
harbor improvements In Oceania +ba
commissioners found that nractice1iI1
an shlps going through the canal To j
Australia and New Zealand will necas0
sarily call at Tahiti, and RECOMMENDS
s s1 .oo SP pen of the equivalent of
Si'fuV.UVO on the improvement of
Papeete harbor. Lighthouses shon1d
pe pullt' the channel deepened and a
proper coaling station constructed
Inc commission does not believe u
necessary TO make extensive arrsnoa
ments for coaling at Papeete haca,Tso
IN ITS opinion and that of the princinal
french shipowners consulted hI, ~ |
commission the explosive oil engine
Tor SHIPS will entirely superseda tba
steam engine within from * 70 o.
years While the passage of so nanv
more ships cannot fail to heDaf+ 49,
colonies III Oceania, the commission is
moi optlmls9c- The scarcity of labor
VIII retard expansion ChaaDer
fre5ghts, however, will enable S,,oh
products as cocoanut fiber plentiful
in the colonies there and much in de-
mand IN Europe, to be profitably ex
ported
Effect on French Trade.
M David-Mennet, the president of
the Paris chamber of commerce has
made study of the effect on French
trade OF the opening of the Panama