The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-10-27
France Has Watched the
Progress on Isthmus
of Panama
WILL NOT AFFECT
COUNTRY'S COMMERCE
President Of Paris Chamber of Com
merce Thinks Principal Advantages
Will be Felt by United States and
Afterward England.
(By Associated Press.

(By Associated Press.)
PARIS, Oct o. - France, the
builder of the Suez canal and first to
begin the work in Panama, has follow
ed American progress on the Isthmus
more earnestly perhaps than any other
European country Regret that France
could not have completed the work so
nobly conceived tinges the apprecia-
tive comment of French observers on
the completion of the vast enterprise |
The French government has made
study of the effects of the opening of I
the canal on French commerce. The /
ministries OF the navy. Of commerce +
and the colonies appointed commits
sion OF four members. NJ. JulIidiere |
engineer in chief of the board of I
bridges and highways; NJ. Douvrv. an I
engineer in the bureau of arts and /
manufactures of the ministry of com
merce, and two naval officers. Lieuteu-
ants HALTER and Byenayme, to inquire |
INTO the effects of the opening of the
canal on French shipping and trade in
general, and particularly on French /
colonies i'm the Antilles and Oceanic. !
the commission visited the canal zone
and the French colonies concerned.
and examined and sifted an immense
amount of material.
The commissioners. after a fun con
sidcration of all the facts at their dis
posal, have reported that French com
merce Will not be greatly affected by
the canal. Only 250O00 tons OF French
shipping Will use the new route dur
inc the first year of its opening, nor
can the commission perceive that
French tonnage passing through the
canal viii be likely to increase great
~, because the French mercantile ma
rine generally tends rather toward
reduction than an expansion.
England and Germany, who hold the
greater part Of the maritime trans
port trade, will be the principal i'm
mediate beuefciaries of the canal. but
America viii. in the opinion. ef the
commission. certainly take steps to
promote Il rapid growth of her mercan-
tile shipping.
One of the most important conse-
quences Of the opening of the canal
the commission finds. viii be not mere
/ ~ to provide facilities for existing
commerce, but TO create new traffic
which viii result i'm the economic CON
quest of the Pacific and the exploita-
/ ton of the natural riches of the west
em part of the two American contin-
4 ents by the capital and industry of
the eastern states Of the Union. The
/ canal, the commission predicts, viii
/ profoundly modify the situation of the
Atlantic and the Gulf Of Mexico ports
/ Of the United States from the point of
view Of the world s commerce When
the American manufacturer has The
same advantage in respect to trans
| port that he now has i'm the cost Of
] yt,.r +f..-,
tor, the world S market will be his
! The rapidity with which business will
increase i'm the United States viii have
far-reaching effects on the economic
life Of Europe, which viii be obliged
to transform present wasteful methods
into a more scientific use of labor.
The United States, the French GOV
| eminent investigators affirm, will OBJ
tain an incalculable advantage from
the new canal. and Europe may even
find its industrial activity diminished.
While impossible to express in figures
the economic consequences. some CON
sideratiOns are mentioned. The day
before the opening of the canal.
France, so far as transportation is con
cernod, viii be nearer to all points on
the west coast of South America than
the eastern ports of the United States.
The day after the opening of the Pan
anna canal, the situation will be re
versed. Guyaquil, Callao and Nalparai-
so viii be more than 1000 miles near
New York than to France, and New
Orleans 5000 miles. The cutting of the
Isthmus will permit ships from the
eastern United States to reach far
eastern Australia more easily.
NJ. David-Mennet, the president Of
the Paris chamber of commerce, has
made study Of the effect on French
trade Of the opening of the Panama
canal, and in talking of the subject
to the Associated Press correspondent
said:
Il do not think that French manu-
facturers expect much immediate
change in the exports of France. The
principal advantages. rs we look upon
them, will 90 to the United States and
next after the United States, to Eng
land.
''The canal will open up trade with
the West coast of North and South
America. The exports of France are
: largely fine fabrics and other articles
of taste and luxury. The considerable
| trade which we already have with the
I western coast of the Americas will in
| crease with the development of those
L oHH'li 'N' " Z EduiIot heiI Jul prom
/ in the future. But / feel that England
/ and some other countries Of Europe
/ are better organized for sea traffic
: with the western coast of the America.
: than is France.
France does not offer the heav,
freights which encourage the increase
not only in the number of American
\ lines, but in the class Of ships which
: carry heavy freights and which form
such a material adjunct to the mer
chant marine Of England.
"Of course, the Panama canal vii
develop the trade Of China, Australi;
: and the Indies. The easier access t
D the enormous Chinese markets will no