Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-28
TRIBUTE At MOBILE
TO JOHN 7. MORGAN

as Early Advocate of 18TH
milan Canal.
MOBILE. Ala. October 2S.-Delegates
to the Southern Commercial Congress
paused in their discussion Of the Panama
canal long enough today to pay impress
sive tribute to the late Senator John T.
Morgan of Alabama, who for more than
thirty years advocated an isthmian wa
terway. In thirteen churches and halls
the memorial services took place at noon.
Senator Morgan was eulogized as one OF
the first advocates of a canal.
Following closely on the heels Of Presi-
dent Wilson's statement yesterday that
the United States would gain no more
territory by conquest, Senator Joseph e.
Ransdell of Louisiana offered a resolu-
ton at this mornings session providing
that Congress should begin an investiga-
ton Of how this country got the Canal
Zone from Colombia. He said the United
he smaller republic. The resolution went
TO committee.
Women's Auxiliary Meets.
The women of the south came in for
a share OF the activities OF the con-
yress today when the first convention
Of the woman's auxiliary Of the organ
cation opened its sessions. A feature Of
this opening was the presence of Miss
Cornelia Morgan Of Washington,
daughter of Senator Morgan.
Mrs. Thomas NJ. Owen, president, told
OF the organizations activities during the
past year Other speakers included Mrs.
Erwin Craighead. president Of the Ala
bama organization: Mrs. Charles s. Shaw
ahan, president Of the Mobile county
body; Mrs Emmett O'Neal. wife of Ala
bama's governor. and Miss Louise c..
Lindsey, president Of the Tennessee con-
gress.
w w. Finley. who was to deliver an
ADDRESS at the afternoon session. did
not get here John N. Parker Of New Or
leans delivered an address.
The incident of the Mexican steamer
Cornicalo not dipping its flag to Pres
ident Wilson's boat yesterday was ex-
planned today by officers Of the ship.
they said no one with authority to or
der the flag lowered was aboard when
the cutter passed, and that no insult to
the President was intended.
Renders Navy More Efficient.
Conceding the vast benefits that will
accrue to commerce through the opening
of the Panama canal, Secretary Daniels
told the delegates last night that the
opening would not double the efficiency
of the navy. He denied claims that the
furthered mobility of the fleets would
add so much to the sea power OF the
United States. He acknowledged, how
ever. that such mobility would render
the navy much more efficient.
During the long campaign to induce
the American people to pay the millions
necessary to construct an isthmian ca
nal, said the Secretary, "one Of the
strongest arguments for the large ex-
penditure was that such canal would
double the efficiency of the navy. We
were told also that it would make for
efnciency In the army and make the
United States the dictator of the west
ern hemisphere and the mistress of the
seas
Now that the canal is nearing COM
pletion and the day is near at hand
co to the Caribbean in about 24O hours
as against LISA hours it took the Oregon
to sail around Cape Horn. we are told
that the building of the canal demands
twice as large navy as formerly and
that control of the canal demands a
large standing army on the isthmus."
Secretary Daniels referred to the dec
laration of Count Maurice de Perigny.
a celebrated French explorer, that this
gigantic and remarkable work of the
inca military sense" The Frenchman
calculated that 25OOO men would be
barely sufficient to guard the waterway.
Truth Lies In Between.
But In these statements" Secretary
Daniels continued, las in almost all
other things, the truth lies between two
extravagant assertions. The canal will
not double the effectiveness of our navy,
but it will greatly increase its ability
to defend every part of the coast on the
Pacific as we'll as on the Atlantic. It
will not virtually multiply the numbers
of the army. 1t will make necessary
Notifications and troops, but 1t need
not be nearly SO expansive or require
one-half so many troops az our dis
t.nguished Frenchman predicts.
mo great achievement comes without
sacrifice and cost, but the benefits to be
derived will be worth the moderate cost
its protection and operation will re-
quire in all the years to come. and with
the expansion of trade the benefits will
increase an hundred fold. whereas the
expense will remain practically station
airy.
The Panama canal Is mammoth
carving knife that cuts and slashes dis
tances in a record-breaking way. And
cutting and slashing the distances be-
tween New York and San Francisco
means to revolutionize naval. as we'll as
commercial, conditions. The military Sig
nificance of the canal, Of course. Is that
it enables the quick movement of the fleet
in either ocean to the other in time of
war.
Vital Chord in System.
1T 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 a compe-
tent navy. and with the canal secured.
not merely as to tenure, but with guns
of such range as to insure depioyment in
the open sea at either end-a necessary
condition of all seacoast Notifications
invasion will not be attempted, for 1t can
lead to no adequate results. Without the
canal 1t would require four months for
an Atlantic feet to round Cape Horn into
the upper Pacific; with the canal 1t will
require less than four weeks"
Secretary Daniels. referring to Span
ish-American war days lauded the bat
tleship Oregon's hazardous trip of Is, 40
miles in record breaking time, declaring
the cruise helped powerfully to build the
canal.
"A few months hence" he added. 1.-The
navy-the chief cause which led to the
construction of the canal-will proudly
sail through the majestic waterway from
the Atlantic to the Pacific. Headed by
the Oregon, the imposing fleet will teach
to all the world the fact that the navy
Of the republic, long anchored in one
hos iotn cd ~ to H.,