Evening journal., 1914-05-09
military Value OF
THE c. &D.WATERWAY
Senator Salisbury Refers to
Advantage if Government
Buys 1t
WOULD CONDEMN
If NECESSARY

salisbury, or Delaware, deilNereu an
address In the Senate yesterday on
his amendment to the River and Har-
Dor bill appropriating S2.5OO,OOO for
the purchase of the Chesapeake and
Delaware canal and authorizing the
government to acquire the canal for
condemnation proceedings II the gov
ernments first offer Is not accepted
by the canal company.
Senator Saulsbury's address was an
exhaustive and instructive review of
the history of the Chesapeake and
Delaware canal from the time its
charter was obtained In 1898 until
the present day. Mr. Salisbury
quoted from every report made by
the engineers Of the army on the
military value OF the canal and from
many other documents showing the
vast commercial interests i'm Mary
land, Delaware and Pennsylvania
served by the canal. He laid es-
pecial stress on the report OF the
Agnus Commission, consisting of Gen
Felix Agnus, of Baltimore. as chair
man; Col. G.. A. Il. Flager, United
States Army, and Il. T. Chambers,
civil engineer of the navy. II was on
the data furnished by the report Of
the Agnus Commission and on testi-
mony given few weeks ago by
General Agnus and Colonel Flager.
before Senator Saulsbury's commit
tee as to the value of the canal today,
that Senator Salisbury based his
amendment increasing the amount
appropriated by the House, S1,3OO,OOO
to S2.5OO.OO0.
Opens Up Big Markets.
Senator Salisbury said:
Those who labor upon the great
Chesapeake Bay and It's tributaries
VIII have opened to them, by quick
water transportation, the markets
where millions of people in the great
cities Trenton, Camden, philadelphia,
Chester, Wilmington and the sur
rounding territory buy their food
The people of these great communi-
ties VIII have opened to them, by
quick water transportation, the great
markets where the people of Balti-
mores Annapolis, Norfolk. and the
South purchase the manufactured
articles necessary for their daily use.
Millions of tons of freight will be
interchanged and enhanced i'm value
by the readiness with which GUS
toners can obtain the necessaries Of
life. Millions of people will be bene-
| hted by the lessened cost of articles
they daily use.
''If those who know the best about
this great work are not absolutely
and entirely mistaken. the military
and naval defenses of great por-
| tion Of our Eastern seaboard will
] Its
strength of this government can be
| raldily concentrated at any point
where attack Is to be feared. The
cost of making such concentration
/ possible will only be tnat of one or
two ships Of war and rrom 10 to 20
/ per cent.-possibly greater per-
centage than that--on its cost will
be saved TO the commerce of the
/ country annually.
To Help Railroads.
"The canal. completed in accord
/ ance with the estimate of the engin-
GERS, will prove an automatic regu-
lation of railroad rates, and at the
same time relieve the railroads Of
their congested traffic. to the great
benefit of all their customers.
Resolutions of public bodies have
been passed year after year urging
this Improvement upon Congress.
We favor the adoption of a liberal
and comprehensive plan for the de-
velepoment and improvement of our
inland waterways with economy and
efficiency, so as to permit their nav
igation by vessels of standard draft.
There can be no better place found
in the Union to test the value of a
modern canal than by the purchase and
enlargement OF the now small water
way between the Delaware and Chesa.
peake bays. A great traffic already
exists, and the amount OF its inter.
change between producer aud consumer
will thoroughly test out the great mNl-
ect of an intracoastal waterway. The
Maryland Board of Public Works, as
long ago as November. 1906. declared Il
to be the sense of that board that the
state. owning SSl $50 of the stock ol
the canal company, should contribute
its holdings toward the project if the
government would purchase the cana
and make it free and open water
way
"Wide markets. where millions OF
consumers will be benefited, will open
TO the people of Maryland and Virginia
engaged in producing the necessities OF
life. Exchange of manufactured goods
for foodstuifs will be increased for tn,
benefit of all.
Will Save Many Lives.
1T is difficult indeed, impossible
10 accurately estimate the great advan
tage which will flow from unfetterins
the commerce of the two sections an,
making easy the free interchange of be
tween fifty and a hundred millions @
tons annually. which is the combine,
commerce of the two bays.
'The government can obtain thi
waterway at less than its actual COS
and with a certainty that no loss vii
be incurred. The character OF III
project is not a new one. A simila
but smaller project Of this characte
was carried through when the gov
ernment purchased the Chesapeake
and Albemarle Canal. and the advan
/ tages OF that purchase have alread
been proven in some measure.
1T is no small thing to take int
consideration that many human live
will be saved each year, now sacr
feed 10 the fury OF the sea on tn
outside passage between the Dela
ware and Virginia Capes, il this wa
terway should be properly opened.
Existing as it now does, it may
said to be almost an obstruction
commerce rather than a benefit, for
il did not exist at all the short bar
rier to the interchange of the gres
commerce of the two bays and thei
| tributaries would NOT he allowed lon