The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
GERMANY'S GREAT PANAMA CANAL

European steamers to go up to the Wien
ish-M Mestphalan industrial district and to
Cologne. Cologne was formerly a sea-
port. The Dutch, Germans complain, put
obstacles in the way. They prefer to keep
the big ships at Rotterdam, and to gain
the profits of trans-shipment, storage.
and other business, and they spend mucn
less money on improving their part of
the channel than is spent by Germany.
AT present Rotterdam gets the lions
share of the Rhine traffic. This traffic is
big. OF the trade between Holland and
Germany, 6,000,000 tons go by railroad,
whereas 100000 go by river. Through
5 Rotterdam go 100000 tons. As a result-
Rotterdam is increasing at a quicker
rate than any German port; its tonnage
Increase In the last three years was dou-
bic that of Hamburg, and considerably
more than that of Antwerp The COM
merce Is German; but the profit is Dutch.
Thus only fifth of the Rotterdam ship
ping is German. German firms have to
Keep offices and agents in Rotterdam.
Naturally. they reason that If German
Emden could be turned into the chief
Rhine seaport, all the profits reaped by
the Dutch would be kept in Germany's
purse
Emden Is chosen as the new Rhine
seaport because it is Germany's most
westerly maritime center, and it is
nearer than any other port to the. Ger
man Rhine and to the Rhenish- West
phalian industries. The question at
what point inland the new Rhine shall
diverse from the old Rhine is not
finally settled. Most engineers favor
Duisburg, an important industrial GEN.
ter half way between the Dutch Ger
man frontier and Cologne Duisburg is
about 40 kilometres from the frontier
1T would be possible to shorten the
new Rhine by laying 1t more north.
but point farther inland and at great
er elevation has been chosen in order
70 secure a natural fall for the waters.
From Duisburg to Emden is 215 <ilo-
metres, and that will represent the en-
tire length of the ship canal Engi-
neer Jurgens, who has drawn up tho
latest plan, says that from technical
standpoint there is no difficulty in the
problem. 1T is purely" he says, "a
matter OF digging, and of money"
The S200000,000 will save a large part Of
the S2SO,000,000 which the Prussian minis
ter of railroads lately declared must be
spent on railroads in this district 1t is
estimated that in few years the canal
Will carry 50,000,o00 tons annually; thus
producing gross revenue of $5000,000
This VIII not be enough to pay interest
on the cost; but the possibilities for the
remote future are promising. great
deal OF the wealth p6w left in Holland
Will go to Germany. Rotterdam, which
largely lives out of traffic. bound for or
to the German Rhine will decline to a
second rate third rate port 1t will
merely attract such traffic as Is needed
Tor Dutch local requirements. The Dutch
loss will not be confined to this The
whole of the Dutch lower Rhine, as a re-
suit of its inferior depth and general in
feriority, must decay. 1t is even pos
sible that western Holland lying alsne
the Waal and Mas. will be supplied
with merchandise entering not via Rot
terdam but via Emden and the New
Rhine
Germany will profit in war more even
than in peace. At present in wartime
Germany even If she secured the COM
mand Of the sea- may have her Rhine
commerce stopped by an unfriendly Hol-
land, whom she might not have enough
free troops to coerce. The Dutch could
block the river to German ships and
merchandise. Once the New Rhine is
built Germany will be mistress of her
own river and no power that has not
command of the sea will be able to med
die with her oversee trade. The pros
pect Of these very practical advantages,
and the sentimental advantage of having
a .'deutscher Rhein," are having strong
effect on German public opinion and
there is little doubt that when the money
market gets easier an appeal for the nec-
essarv capital will produce the $780, 100000
needed