Arizona republican., 1913-11-23

situation, in particular, is fitted to l give her preference over Rapa and 1 Honolulu as the favorite stopping l place between California and New Zealand on the route between san Francisco and Auckland.
 If l add that the construction of lighthouses is being planned for the guidance of ships passing, at the north of the Tuamotu archipelago, among the numerous islands soWn throughout the ocean at the same time as the formation of the port at Papeete. will have sufficiently shown the extent and value nterna- tionally. of the program which tn" minister of colonies proposes to carry out in the Pacific
 But this is by no means all that France intends to do. NJ. Jean Morel, the minister of colonies. let it be un- derstood in answer to Senator Der enger. who pleaded the noble cause of the French Antilles, that the old ports of Pointe-a-Pitre and Fort de France would be improved in propor
 tion to the needs of the increased traffic resulting from the opening of the Panama canal As far as Point a-Pitrc is concerned. q decree already has been prepared by the cabinet au- thoriz,ng the department to undertake the works which have been judged necessary. t-de-Frahce will not be forgotten.
 There ale other problems to be considered, some or which directly concern my department. In Central America and on the western coast of south America, France has relations traditional friendships, which claim | our attention and are becoming more and more important to us. Lastly, it is necessary to strengthen our re- lations with the western coast of North America. Our great shipping companies cannot remain indifferent and inactive While German and Eng lish companies are renewing and in l creasing their services in the Pacific. Tt is impossible for me to state the decisions of the French shipping companies. which moreover have not vet been formulated. All | know is | that the Compagnie Generalc Trans atlantic after sending one If it's in ! spectors, M. prudhon. to study the ! general problem of navigation in the 1 Pacific, delegated its general director 1 M. DaI PiaZ to proceed t. Colon and i Panama to go further into the ques- | tiOn. IL is on the return of the gen ! ersd director that the transatlantiquc l company will, with all the facts be- 1 fore them decide upon their arrange lncnts regal lding the lines of steam 1 sn.ps which 1t will appear necessary i to create in consequence of the open | ing o1 the canal. It is probable that | the projects which will be adopted 1 by French steamship companies win l aim at serving our colonies in oceana and will consist of either service l leaving Havre or Saint Nazaire which will run to Noumea via Panama. or.
 on the other hand. will consist of a prolongation pure and simple with transshipment at Panama. of the line
 which now runs as far as and stops
 at Colon.
 There are three possible hypo- i theses:
 "l. That passenger steamers of the Colon line may continue their route as far as Noumea, by way of Pana-
 ma, at the rate of speed as at pres l ent to Colon. namely II knots In
 this case the length of the passage.
 including stops will be from forty
 two to forty-three days.
 '2 That passenger steamers stop
 at Colon. the service to be continued by lans-shipment to boats carrying
 cargo and passengers. whose ordinary | speed is II knots. on this hypothe-
 sis the crossing from France to Nou- l mca will represent forty-cight days.
 3. A regular service between 1 France and Noumea is thinkabIe
 which shall carry both passengers
 and cargo. This service would bring
 the length of the passage to about
 forty eight days.
 When these questions are ripe for decision, it will be necessary to eX-
 anime whether the establishment If | the services concerned shoald not en- If tail the suppression or modification T of the present service between Mar | seilles ana Noumea by way of the
 Sucz canal. If this suppression or moo 6.fication should be advisable ii will De necessary to bring the matter cfore parliament. l repeat that we
 tre still in a period of dclibcration
 and it is impossible for me to b-
 Ircrc precise in regard to the hypo- these l have just examined.
 But it will be understood without