The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-01-17
PANAnA POLICE FORCE

tons, the cost Of which is nearly equal
the cost of the canal itself.
1t is a significant fact that two
thirds of this tonnage Is being built
by the British, for themselves and for
foreign nations.
But why-why this enormous ex-
penditure? What is it all about?
It is a local idea upon Puget sound
that the value of the Panama canal
is overestimated- already 1t has
been discounted. If this were true
then the world generally is engaging
in the pleasant pastime of fooling It.
self.
There was a time in history when
the Mediterranean was, as its name
signifies, the center of the worlds
commerce. At least the center OF the
commerce of the western world. Co
existent with the commerce OF that
day was that of the orient OF tabled
Hind and far Cathay little was known
in the way Of trade. Mungo Park and
Sir John Vaudeville took business ex-
cursions to the east, but the tales they
brought back were regarded as of lit
tie worth. Vaudeville, in particular,
was unanimously elected to the
Ananias club, the presidential honors
of which he has shared ever since, in
the popular estimation, with Baron
Munchausen.
But the Portuguese found their
way round the Cape Of Good Hope
to Goa. The route was found prac-
ticable. The face of Europe changed
almost instantly. A century later
Turkey, Spain. Holland England.
France had wrested it from them.
Europe fronted on the sea which bore
it's ships to the orient. For the trade
at first was not with the new world;
it was with the teeming population
Of the far east American trade be-
gan only to assume its present i'm
portance when this continent began
to have a population which had the
means to buy as well as the energy
to sell.
The opening of the Suez canal
doubled the trade with the orient In
few years. 1t has again doubled.
Again Italy sprang to the front;
again Egypt and the southern, as we'll
as the northern shore of the Mediter-
ranean, once more upon world trade
route, began to assume importance
to be worth fighting for.
It is that backsight into the lessons
Of the past which has ever favored
the opening of the ditch across the
Panama isthmus. The early Spanish
conquistadores saw it's advantage to
Spain, In that it would open the
south Pacific coast line of America
to that country. Today its opening
will not only mean that to Spain, but
it will mean that to every European
nation, and most particularly to the
western states of the union. But now
portant than the south. There is a
great trade in the islands Of the
Pacific coast is more important than
the south. There Is great trade in
the islands of the Pacific with Aus
tralasia, with the East Indies, and
China and Japan, to be reached
through that canal which did not exist
when Balboa stood on the isthmus.
If the canal was worth something
then what must it be worth now?
Such a vision is sufficient to attract
the attention Of the most inattentive,
unseeing of observers. But II its de-
tails are examined in a business way
1t is at once seen that one-half has
not been told.
Nearly one-half of the population of
the world dwells upon the shores OF
the Pacific. Among the peoples of
that population are three nations Of
one race, and that race whose Ian
guage, laws and activities dominate
modern times. These are the Ameri-
cans. the Canadians and the Austral-
ians. Backing these are the reawak-
ened civilizations Of China and Japan.
Surely an ocean whose borders are Sc
populated must count for much.
The dominant nation is, of course
this country, and to it should come the
lion share of the increase.