The Washington times., 1913-12-13
BRITAIN IS SEEKING
TRADE IN PANAMA
Ship Owners and Merchants
Have Perfected Plans to
Profit by Canal.

IldSC TCiICClcu TIdIlS u
Profit by Canal.
LONDON, Dec. 13.-British ship own
ers and merchants in every line Of
produce and manufacture have carefully
laid plans TO- any change that will g me
over the trade of the world as a res 1t
of the opening of the Panama Canal.
All the big shipping companies shat
have interests in the countries directly
benefited by the new waterways have
either added to their tonnage or made
preparations for doing SD. and in every
case it will be found that the steamers
built or building are generally of the
size considered most suitable for the
transit of the canal. Coaiing stations
also are being arranged for in order
that steamers using the canal may coal,
If necessary, between Colon and Eng
land. and. generally speaking. every
England to hold the supremacy she
has attained in the worlds maritime
trade.
Englishmen. however. always conserv-
atiye, do not believe that the revolution
VIII be an immediate one. They arc
planning for a gradual expansion of
trade which the ships now in existence
or in prospect will be quite able TO take
care of. Probably one of the best au-
thorities on this question is Major f.
R. Jones. formerly American consul at
Cardiff, who for many years has been
editor of The Shipping World
As To Preferential Tolls.
In a recent interview Major Jones
said:
,-t.
owners trading with the Central Ameri-
can states. the Dominion of Canada and
the American States on the Pacific have
built and are building ships to meet the
business which the Panama route is ex-
pected to create. especially between the
Atlantic and Pacific. In doing tliis they
have ignored the possibility of the
granting of preferential canal tolls to
American coasting tonnage using the
canal They frankly believe that the
United States will never carry out this
idea. Should they be right, ana the
tonnage ready to use the canal the first
year be 105O0,0O and the tolls sl.25 a
ton, the income will be sufficient to
meet the interest charges and working
'Shculd the American coasting ton
mage, however, be exempt from tolls
the whole of the interest and working
EXPENSES will fall upon foreign, prin-
cipally British. shipowners, and this of
course would place them at disad-
vantage.
The dominating nectors governing
the traffic of the Panama Canal Will be
distances and expense; that is to say.
tolls and dues, and consideration of
these will often turn the scale In favor
of either the Suez or the Panama route.
AS l have already Indicated the Pan
anna tolls are to be s1.25 a ton. The
Suez dues on ships with cargo are 625
ballast are allowed a rebate of $50
francs go cents) ton on full transit
rate Particulars as to charges and
navigation rules for the Panama Canal
are not yet published: therefore conf
parisons are not possible. But as far
as they are known they are in favor
of the Sucz canal. 1t should be re-
nlembered also that as the profits in
crease the tonnage charges are reduced
by the Suez. Whether this policy may
be practicable after the opening OF the
Panama canal when a good deal OF
torrase may be withdrawn from the
Suez waterway, remains to be seen.
Should the proposed immunity of
American coasting tonnage from canal
tolls be maintained. and j do not think
it will. then the Suez route will always
get the benefit of the doubt in respect
Of cost and distance. This will apply
to all Asiatic ports west of Japan,
practically all Australian ports and
Zealand and Japan where the distance
orly slightly favors Panama.
Of Benefit To West Indies.
1t goes without saying that, as a
general proposition. the benefits of the
Panama route will be greatest for the
countries and centers where the dis
tance saved is the most. 1t follows
therefore that the American continent,
Canada. the United States. Mexico, the
states of Central and South America,
on both oceans. and the West India
ISLANDS Will be the greatest benciiciarieS.
''Of course. nothing but good can come
to the manufacturers and consumers Of
the British Isles from the abundant
success of the Panama Canal. Our eX-
ports TO the markets fed and favored
by the canal are manufactures; the re-
turn cargo il food supplies and raw
material, So both classes will benefit.
1t VIII mean, too, multiplication of
British coaling stations, which already
dot the oceans of the world, so that the
mines and mine owners also will get
their share of the benefits. 1t is said
that the American Government pur-
poses an arrangement for supplying
good American coal at each end OF the
canal at 13 shillings G4.75) ton. Presi-
dent Wilson will not, in my opinion, go
beyond providing coal for American
coal is very good. its beat value is in
ferior to the steam coal of South Wales
and Northumberland. Then, Of course,
there is the oil which British companies
are drawing in Mexico and are arrang-
ing to exploit in Central America.
In every sense, commercial and senti-
1t is highly desirable that the
formal, official inauguration of the
canal, an achievement second only. to
Lincoln's emancipation of the slaves,
should take place in the spirit of friend
illness and good will on the part of all
maritime nations" ----.-...-