The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-05-06
INLAND WATER
ROUTES HAVE
A WAR VALUE
Theodore Justice Says They
Would Be Better Than Canal
as Means of Defense.

u .
WASHINGTON, D. c., May g.
That waterways are of value not only
in time OF peace but in time of war,
and that an inland waterway along
tie Atlantic coast as means OF ma
tional defense would be OF even great
er value than the Panama canal, Is
the opinion expressed by Theodore
Justice, OF Philadelphia, who is COM
missioner OF Paramount park.
"Haw many of US realize" said Mr.,
Justice, that but for the sinking OF /,
the battleship Maine the Panama canal
would today not even have been be-
gun? When we were suddenly facing
war we found out feet divided, one
part in the Atlantic, the other in the
Pacific, and each division liable to be-
ing defeated in detail. The long,
hazardous trip OF the Oregon arouna
| Cape Horn was matter of intense
anxiety and aroused the whole nation
to the need of the Panama canal as
means OF national defense. SO that,
in case of need, we could unite all our
warships in one mighty feet and in
either ocean.
International Aggression.
I'm my remarks before the conven-
ton % the National Rivers and Har-
bors Congress in December last, II
pointed out that the question whether
the Panama canal, which was wholly
paid for by the United States and is
wholly within United States territoryS
| is to be absolutely within United
States CONTROL had seemingly become
] inform af fRno1
created situation that was sur
charged with danger, one that might
lead to conflict with the whole world
united against us, and that this con-
fict might come upon US as suddenly
as did the sinking of the Maine. The
danger which existed at that time has
been multiplied hundred fold by the
situation that now confronts us in
Mexico.
"Unnder such peril our greater
cities, New York. Philadelphia, Balti
more, and even Washington, tho cap
ital OF the nation, might be at the
mercy OF united European fects, but
this danger would be fully averted
If the waterways that now connect
New York harbor with the Delaware
river and Chesapeake bay were deep
ened sufficiently to allow the pass
age OF torpedo boats. This inland
waterway would be safe from battle
saip attack and would have oil the
advantages of a short inside line from
which offensive warfare might be
more safely carried on The benefits
indicated for the section from New
York to Chesapeake bay would be
vastly extended and multiplied with
the completion of the entire project,
giving protected waterway the whole
length of the Atlantic coast.
The National Value.
"The broad, national value of such
a waterway would be far greater to
the people Of the United States than
even that of the Panama canal, con-
ceding, as do, quite as much for the
national value of the latter as is
claimed by its most sanguine advo-
Gates.
'Will any broad-minded and patrio-
tic citizen of the United States not
concede that matters of national de-
Tense should have precedence at all
times over the many other meritoroua
projects that have been proposed? All
of the latter proposed plans contain
great commercial value to the nation,
and hope that within the course of
a reasonable time all OF them will be
developed, but in the interest of the
whole nation the greatest project of
them all is the immediate preparation
for national defense contained within
Rthe plans of the Atlantic Deeper Wat
erways Association, extending all the
way from Maine to Florida"
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