Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-10-28
CANAL WILL help
NAVY EFFICIENCY
But It Will Not Contribute as
Much as Is Believed, Says
Secretary Daniels.

Mobile, Ala, OCT. Zo.-Concedlng i
the vast benefits that will accrue to .
commerce through the opening of the
Panama canal, Secretary Daniels told
delegates to the Southern Commercial .
congress last night that the opening
would not double the efficiency of the .
navy He denied claims that the fur
thered mobility OF the fleets would
add so much TO the sea power OF the .
United States. He acknowledged, /
however, that such mobility would .
render the navy much more efficient. 7
During the long campaign to in
duce the American people to pay the /
millions necessary to construct an
isthmian canal" said the secretary, 1
zone Of the strongest arguments for /
the large expenditure was that such
a canal would double the efficiency Of
the navy. We we're told also that
Il would make for efficiency in the
army and make the United States the /
dictator OF the Western Hemisphere
and the mistress of the seas.
Now that the canal is nearing com.
pIetion and the day is near at hand
when ships will sail from San Fran /
cisco to the Caribbean in about 24O
hours, as against 1924 hours it took
the Oregon to sail around Cape Horn, |
we are told that the building OF the I
canal demands twice as large a navy
az formerly and that control Of the |
canal demands large standing army
on the isthmus"
Secretary Daniels referred 10 the I
declaration of Count Maurice de
Perigny, celebrated French explor-
or. that this gigantic and remarkable I
work of the United States is insult |
ciently protected in = military sense"
The Frenchman calculated that $4,000 1
men would be barely sufficient to |
guard the waterway
But in these statements" Secre- I
tary Daniels continued. as in almost
all other things. the truth lies between
two eXtravagant assertions. The ca
nal will not double the effectiveness
Of our navy, but it will greatly In
crease its ability TO defend every part
of the coast on the Pacific as we'll
rs on the Atlantic. II will not vir-
tually multiply the numbers OF the
army. II will make necessary fprti-
fcations and troops, but It need not
he nearly so expansive or require one
hair so many troops as our distin-
Cuished Frenchman predicts.
NO great achievement comes with
out sacrifice and cost. but the benefits
to be derived will be worth the mod
crate cost It's protection and operation
will require I'm all the years TO come, |
and with the expansion OF trade the
benefits viii increase an hundred fold
whereas the expense will remain prac
ilcally stationary.
The Panama canal Is a mammoth
carving knife that cuts and slsshes
distances in a record-breaking way
And cutting and slashing the dis
tances between New York and San
Francisco means TO revolutionize ma
val. as we'll as commercial conditions.
The military significance OF the canal
Of course Is that Il enables the quick
movement OF the feet in either ocean
20 the other in time OF war
'It will be the most vital chord in
that system OF transference by which
the navy OF the United States can
come promptly TO the support on
either coast OF the local defenses. with
competent navy. and with the canal
secured not merely as TO tenure. hut
with guns OF such range as to insure
deployment I'm the open sea at either
end-a necessary condition of all sea.
coast Qualifications invasion will not
he attempted for Il can lead to no
adequate results. Without the canal
II would require four months for an
Atlantic feet TO round Cape Horn into
the upper Pacific; with the canal il
will require less than four weeks"
Secretary Daniels, referring TO
Scandinavian war days, lsuded
the battleship Oregons hazardous
trip Of 1900 miles in record breaking
time, declaring the cruise helped
powerfully to build the canal
"A few months hence" he added.
the navy-the chief cause which led
TO the construction OF the canaI-NiIl
proudly sail through the majestic wat
crway from the Atlantic TO the Pacific
Headed by the Oregon. the imposing
fleet will teach to all the world the
- that the navy of the republic, long
anchored in one ocean. has hoisted
anchor and IS equally at home on the
Atlantic and the Pacific, the protector
and defender of American honor and
American interests.
";s e be given 10 those who have
gone before TO look out OF the win
doWs OF the skies and find happiness
in the doings OF this world. the heart
OF John T. Morgan will thri1 as he
sees the realization OF dream that
took him out OF the lowlanSs OF
thought and gave him the vision that