The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1913-12-23
PANAMA CANAL
WILL INCREASE
AMERICAN SHIPS
Senator Chamberlain Explains
Benefit to Accrue to Mer.
chant Marine.
COMPETITION IS ASSURED
UPON PART OF RAILROADS
Railroads No Longer Will Be Per-
mitted to Crush Smaller
Steamer Lines

Washington, Dec. 22-The value
of the Panama Canal to the devel-
opment OF merchant marine and
American shipping. the Pacific
Coast cities, Atlantic ports and in
land waterways was explained eff
fec ctivcly and Interestingly tonight
by Senator Chamberlain of Oregon.
Senator Chamberlain is a strong
advocate of maintaining the law
relating to the Panama Canal as it
exists today on the statute books
"in spite of British or other pro-
teste.'
Three things" said Senator
Chan bc,lain, "are sure to follow
he completion of the Panama Canal
and state them in order of relative
Importance:
"First, regulation and control of
rates en- all trunk lines, whether
transcOntinental or coastwise.
Second, an added stimulus will
be given to construction of Ameri-
can ships and hence will begin the
rDbuilding of our disappearing
merchant marine.
Development of coast ports, both
Atlanti, and Pacific as well as
those on island waterways which
can be reached by ocean steamers,
W thout breaking bulk. passing
througn the canal in either direc-
tion.
Present Law Must Stand.
"Of course, it goes without saw
ing THAI these predictions are based
on the maintenance on our statute
books Of the present Panama Canal
law, which eyinces determination
to enforce a purely American policy.
1t is unnecessary to discuss the
question cf rate regulation and cor
nequent rate reduction. That is
conceded practically by all.
There are those who will deny
lfat canal will in any way fur
thur tho construction of American
vessels But these are already evil
denCes that private enterprises have
entered on the construction Of
such vessels for the c1astwise
trade. Heretofore this traffic has
been monopolized by the great rail.
way companies and it has been i'm
pos bic Tor small capital to maintain
a competitive line of steamers.
"The placing of an Independent
steamship line between Boston and
he Isthmus, or between New York
and the Isthmus. simply meant an
immediate competitor by the rail.
road compa1ii S with rates fixed
too loS to permit of honest com.
petiton because the railway COM
oanies could, and sometimes did,
carry ocean freight against CON-
pei tors. for almost nothing. making
up for their losses by an increase in
rates hy rail. Under present laws
and with an open canal these con-
dit ons will end and shipbuilding
will at once begin activity on both
coasts.
Boom to Shipbuildine.
Put it may be asked, will ships
be built for other than coastwise
t"aIe? | answer that if shipbuild-
ing is once begun for coastwise
trafflc, it will extend to vessels for
he foreign trade, even though our
vessels must of necessity come in
competition with the subsidized yes
sells of other countries.
II look therefore for a new era liz
American shipbuilding as soon as
the canal is an accomplished fact.
The ports which will be the most
benefited by the opening of the
CANAL will, of course, be those that
can be reached by seagoing vessels
without breaking bulk. To illus,
trate what I mean, vessels sailing
from Portland, Ore, or San Fran
c $50, pass through the canal to New
Orleans or New York, will tend to
the more rapid development of such
| ports. But it by no means follows
that development. though positively
more slowly, will not come to points
inland from points of immediate de-
| parture or destination
Particularly Will these ports be
assisted where there exists the bene-
| fits Of ,ail and water competition.
Let us then continue the American
policy we have set ont upon, in
spite of British or other protest,
| and the results | prophecy are sure
to follow"