The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-09-20
The Panama Puzzle

Blood as well as water will flow through the
Panama Canal unless Agnes c. Laut is badly
mistaken In leading article in the October
Technical World Magazine that will startle the
veriest lingo out of his self-complacency this
we'll informed publicst puts a number of facts
together that make Yankees hair stand on end.
"The power that rules the rules the world.
The next contest for world supremacy comes on
the Pacific. There is not thoughtful person
who does not know that Panama will not only
the century conduits of world traffic, but
will throw Uncle Sam into the vortex of a world
contest
What are the moving forces which will form
this vast vortex? The author points out that
the civilized nations of the front rank are today
engaged in rivalry for colonization sites in
sections of Asia and in South America. The
Panama Canal opens up for the first time a
pathway to enormous wealth in these parts of
the world. Hence Germany, England Holland,
France and especially Japan stranng every
nerve to get foothold in the Panama zone. Eng
land is already furnishing base at Bermuda.
Germany is striving to secure ST. Thomas from
the Danes. The Dutch after Curacao while
France is busy at Martinique and Guadeloupe.
But colony spaces are not the only prize in
sight of the big competitors; the y. S. engages
in marine business that totals some four bill
lions annually. Twenty per cent of this goes for
transportation and Uncle Sam is very poorly
equipped for that kind of work. He carries
rdiculously small amount of his own marine
commerce. Twenty per cent of four billion is
eight hundred million, rather tidy sum- And
this is one of the big prizes the nations of the
world are struggling for. They want bases of
supply and operation in American waters in Or
der to handle this big job.
Suppose we get tangled up in war with one
of these nations. No idle question. They do
not seem to be afraid of us. There is the Mon
roe Doctrine for instance; it seems to be in bad
way now as European and Asatic Powers seem
to build forts and coal and naval bases right I'M
der our noses and without much as "by
YOUR leave" They don't seem to be bothering
much about that famous document; at least not
noticaby In case of war! Yes: But our lingo
friend in chesty tones says We have a Yankee
army that can whip the word' Whip the world !
Not so as you can notice it. Not according to
Agnes Laut.
And not according to Frederick Palmer
either. In McClure's for September 1.-The worlds
greatest war correspondent pays his tribute
to 1.-THE worlds most advanced business-War.'
In paragraphs of Photographic clarity he reveals
the extraordinary developments in the war in
dustry during the past ten years. War, he
argues is highly developed technique develop
ed with great completely on the principle OF
division of labor. The individual soldier is no
longer hero leading charge, he is a cog in a
big machine. And it requires years to prepare
him to be the cog. That's why our volunteer
armies which we dream of raising in of an
emergency would be so futile.
The Panama Canal is itself vast fortune
which must be defended against all corners at
any cost The growing complexity of our inter-
national affairs is liable at any time to involve
lis in struggle. And how are we prepared to
meet such issue? We not prepared at ali
in such an event we would prove to be the most
heavily handicapped fighter among all the great
powers. AT least. so say Agnes Laut and Freder-
lex Palmer.