The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-10
DIGGS CHARGED WITH
CRIMINAL ASSAULT

| Diggs, former state architect who with
F. Drew Caminetti son of Anthony Cami-
nett, United States inspector of immi-
grafton, was convicted of violating the
Mann white slave act, was held today in
police court to answer in the superior
court to a charge of criminal assault,
preferred by Ida A. Perring. The COM
| planning witness swore she was only II
years old.
Walter Gilligan, Diggs' companion on
| New Years day, when the alleged offense
was committed, also took a cell. Bonds
| of 5000 each were requested Neither has
been able to furnish this.
! Diggs case in the United States district
courts is up on an appeal motion. He
was sentenced to two years in prison.
known since the discovery of America
| or the discovery of an all water passage
| from Great Britain to the orient around
| the Cape of Good Hope.
In the business world of this city the
foremost merchants speaking with eau
| ton, nevertheless venture to say that
| they are persuaded that the opening with
! in a few months of the Panama canal to
| navigation will create business impulses
| in the United States which almost stag
ger the imagination. What the railroads
| have accomplished for development of the
| far west and for the wonderful material
| prosperity of the United States the PAN
| anna canal is likely to accomplish to a
much greater extent. Mr.. Hartman be-
| lieved he made no mistake when he pre-
dcted that the opening of the canal
would bring to the railroads which have
terminals at the gulf ports transporta-
ton far in excess of any rtanscontinen-
tai transportation which the railroads
might use through the opening of the
canal to navigation.
Mr.. Hills Views
James ]. Hill must have hal some per-
ception of the commercial meaning of the
canal when he worked out his philosophy
of railway management in the west and
in the northwest. For Mr.. Hill sought all
interchange of commodities of the south
and the southwestern section of the coun-
| try for the commodities produced in the
| north and the northwest which would
be facilitated by the establishment of
| close relations between the Great North
ern railroad system and railroads whose
| lines parallel the lines of longitude, some
of them reaching to the gulf.
There are sometimes heard in this city
| comments over the fact that apparently
the railroads which have terminals upon
the gulf are as yet making no attempt
| to secure adequate terminal facilities
| there. An exception to this mildly crti-
| cal comment Is made of the late Henry
| NJ. Elagler, than whom no one has made
more glowing predictions of the CONNER
! cial Importance of the Panama canal.
| 1t was chiefly for this reason that Mr..
Flager ventured uron the daring and
unique railway construction by which a
| system that paralleled the east coast of
| Florida has been extended by viaduct.
| whose bases are upon coral reefs to Key
| West.
| In speaking of the curious procrastina-
| ton which is characteristic of some of
| the railroads of the United States so
| far as providing adequate terminal facili-
| ties at the gulf ports is concerned Mr..
| Edmonds called attention to the courage
| of the city of Manchester which until
recently was an inland town of England.
A few years ago an English engineer of
high reputation who crossed the Atlantic
for the purpose of informing himself and
those who employed him about the feasi-
| bility of establishing a railroad system
connecting Canada with Newfoundland by
means of a railroad ferry across the straits
said, In conversation with friends in this
city, that there was not word to be
said excepting in praise of the engineering
achievements which made it possible to
build a ship canal connecting Manches-
ter with the River Mersey.
The Railroad Facilities
lie was 1earIul, however, tndI lHOSe
who invested in this undertaking would
be unable to realize profitably upon their
investments. Manchester expended about
$75,000.000 In constructing a ship canal, or
approximately about one-quarter OF the
cost of the Panama canal. And the
latest information from England has been
that this undertaking has indirectly at
least, greatly stimulated the growth of
Manchester. If a single inland city can
lind adequate returns in the form of in
creased material prosperity in the con-
struction of a canal about 20 miles long,
which changes the city so that 1t becomes
seaport It is reasonable to infer that
the construction of canal which will
float the largest commerce bearers from
the Atlantic to the Pacific will also
greatly change the characteristics of the
"orio commerce, as we'll as greatly in
crease that commerce.
Bolivia is now furnishing a great deal
OF the tin ore which enters into the
worlds market but this ore must be
transported around Cape Horn to Great
Britain. where 1t is smeted. The United
States Is large purchaser of smelted tin
from Great Britain With the opening
of the Panama cana. the cost of smelt-
4 ing or refining tin obtained In Bolivia will
be greatly reduced. and it is the expec-
tation of those who are familiar with
| this business that soon after the opening
| of the Panama canal there will be
| greatly increased development of the Bo-
lvia tin mines and very large tonnage
of tin ores to be transported through the
Panama canal. This is only one ex-
ample of the effect OF the commerce con-
seQuent upon the opening of the canal