Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-04-12
BY cAsslus r. GILLETTE.

BY cASSlUS f. GILLETTE.
In the tolls repeal matter It is sure
Iy fair to consider what President
Wilson says in connection with ad-
mitted facts.
The general reason for the Panama
Canal is the saving of freight costs.
The reasons for our building the ca
nal with our own money were two:
/. To develop mutually our West
and our East by lessening freight
costs.
=. To double the efficiency of our
fleet in time of war by enabling both
halves to concentrate quickly against
an enemy on either coast or an enemy
divided, with a part OF his feet in
each ocean.
How 1t Could Work.
The Wilson view destroys a large
part of the canals commercial value
and makes its military use to US
available only with the consent OF
England. Suppose we are at war
with Japan, England's erstwhile ally.
If England wants us to win she can
join us in abandoning the treaty
Japan can not complain, for she is
not a party to the treaty. But sup
pose England wants Japan to win.
She can hold US to the treaty. and
our canal must be kept neutral, and
Japan can have as free use Of 1t as IL
it were the open sea Otherwise, II
we break our treaty England would
have Just cause for war against us.
Blood is thicker than water" but
very few people want even their own
twin brother to have the power Of
life or death over them.
If the Wilson view is correct, It
follows that Mr. Choate and Mr.. Hay
made a pretty sorry bargain with
England as to our use Of our own
canal.
The average size Of ships that will
use the canal is about $500 net tons.
Such ship can go around Cape
Horn for about $1,000, say So a ton.
Tolls Of So ton, then, would just
wipe out the commercial value for
which we build the canal
What Tolls Do.
Suez tolls are 50 a ton. This rate
would destroy just two-thirds Of Col
oneI Goethals' great work One dol
lar a ton, the probable rate, destroys
one-third Of the canals commercial
value to us.
It benefits us but little to have
ships carry European manufactures
cheaply to Australia and bring back
cheap beef to Europe. Our ships can
not pay American wages for con-
struction and operation and compete
with Norwegian or English cheap la
Dor. so we will get none Of that car
rying trade.
BY building the canal we simply
Increase the merchant marine of our
competitors, give them a wider mar
lSet. and by cheapening their food and
raw materials, like wool, give them
further advantages over us in the
worlds trade.
Now, to lose one-third Of our COM
mercial use of our own canal without
England doing, or having done, one
iota to compensate, is reflection Of
some magnitude on the sagacity of
our diplomats.
Some Close Analoges.
II free tolls at Panama are a sub
sldy why not are those at St Marys
Canal, connecting the Great Lakes
with each other, or at the Hennepin
Canal, connecting those lakes with
the Mississippi--or the Mussels Shoals
Canal on the Tennessee River, or the
jetties at the mouth Of the Missis-
sippi River. or that river itself or the
canalized Ohio River, on which the
Government has spent many millions
to attain precisely the same object -
to enable our shipping to carry freight
more cheaply between ports?
The most rigid code Of honor does
not demand abiect surrender Of an
important matter without negotiation
or discussion, especially ii the matter
Is debatable.