Evening journal., 1914-08-31
PANAMA cANAL Am ITs EFFECT.

THE Panama Canal is completed and ready for
business. An interesting question now promi-
nent in the public mind is the probable effect Of its
operation on the commercial geography Of the world
Experts employed by the National Geographical So
cicty Washington studied the subject and sub
mitted estimates that both timely and inter-
esting
According to them it seems that the Panama Canal
will carry most Of the freight passing between the
eastern coast of the United States and the western
Of Latin America, and that the shorter distance
and lower rates which it offers will greatly increase
that trade; that the trade between the and
western sections OF the United States will be greatly
increased and transported at much lower charge per
ton; that it will sufficiently shorten the distance to
Japan, northern China Australia, and New Zealand
to increase steamship service and materially increase
the traffic with those countries and that the European
countries will the canal in most of their traffic
with western America and in exceptional with
northern Asia, Australia and New Zealand
The canal has shortened travel routes between New
York and Yokohama by $3.50 miles, between New
York and Shanghai about 1000 miles; between New
York and Australia about 5000 miles and between
New-York and western South America by from $500
to 1000 miles It also reduces the distance from Eu-
rope to western South America by more than 5000
miles, International commerce doubled in the thirty
years following the opening Of the suez Canal, and
business and personal nter-relatonship between the
Occident Orient increased in like proportion.
VIII similar results lOllOW Jne ike shortening OF
and travel routes by the Panama Canal the ex-
perts inquire? They assert that highways Of travel
the ocean Influenced by surrounding
conditions just those land so that
the shortest distance between two given points
is not always the best Plentiful freight supplies,
nterchangeabilty OF the products Of the countries
forming the termni of the routes way stations" on
such routes plentiful coaling stations and cheap coal
OF quality suitable steamship engines and even
favorable winds and currents among the
factors contributing the Of routes Of travel
upon the
The sections Of the world which may be considered
as probably within the Sphere of influence" of the
Panama Canal are the eastern and western coasts
Of America, the eastern coast Of Asia and the islands
of the Pacific. All of western America is nearer to
Europe than formerly, and all Of western America
and most of eastern Asia and Oceania nearer to
the eastern coast of America study OF the produc-
tion and consumption OF the various countries lying
within the canals sphere of influence shows that their
various products are thoroughly interchangeable A
study of distances also shows that both New York and
New Orleans are much nearer to all Of western
America than is Liverpool; that may expect in
creasng share Of the trade OF that section to fall TO
the lot Of eastern North America; that the eastern
ports OF the United States considerably nearer
to Yokohama Melbourne. sydney and Wellington than
is Liverpool by her shortest route but that Liverpool
is still Hongkong and Manila than either New
York New Orleans via Panama.
One OF the most important results OF the opening
OF the canal will doubtless be found In It's effect upon
! the movements OF merchandise between the eastern
and western sections of the United States. The data
hand seems justify an estimate of about 100000
tons per OF freight moved by rail and about
half a million tons by water from tho Atlantic coas
section to the Pacific coast section and about an equa
amount from the Pacific coast section and Hawaii Il
! tho Atlantic coast section The freight charges on
these 100000 tons estimated at from S25o0OOO OOt
] IN is for
that the canal will chop huge amounts from thes,
charges.
If Italy will call back her Black Hand artists ant
send them the front to be killed the United States
will feel that the present European has not beei