The Washington times., 1914-05-18
NATIONS EAGER TO
USE PANAMA CANAL
Consular Reports Indicate Big
Volume of Business Will
Pass Through Waterway.

Consular reports these days have
much to say of the preparations being
/ made by other countries for use of the
Panama canal.
! These reports indicate that a big
volume of business will pass through
the canal from the time t is thrown
| open TO commercial shipping.
! Consul Mansfield, of Vancouver, re-
ports that the big lumber companies os
British Columbia are preparing to
hanclc the increase in business antici-
paled from the opening of the canal
Il is believed, he says, that the firms
beet prepared to ship their products
Promptly will have an advantage in
atlishfng trade in Atlantic and Gulf
ports in the United States. Prepara-
tions are being made by Some of the
Vancouver mill operators 20 Increase
the capacity of their plants to meet
increased demands.
It is the opinion of exporters in Brit
ish Columbia that the greatest benefit
TO British Columbia trade will be the
balancing of Inward and outward ship
ping. A. present, the freight tonnage
into the principal ports is about three
times greater than the outgoing cargo.
ships carrying freight into local ports
will load with lumber, coal, hsh and
other British Columbia products for the
outward journey.
Ambassador Guthrie reports from
Tokyo that the minister OF communica-
tions has expressed to the diet the opin
ion that the opening of the canal would
exert an immense influence uron Ameri-
can-Japanese trade, and that the gov
ernment had decided upon the necessity
of subsidizing n trans-Panama line
after full consultation with the cham
l. l..
of the country"
The service is said to contemplate
eight steamers of 500 tons or more
each. The proposed ports of call in
clude Yokohama, Seattle, Panama,
Colon. New York. ard New Orleans.
and all leading far Eastern ports.
Consul John Ball Osborne. reporting
from Havre, France, indicates that the
canal is receiving attention in that
country. He says the trench parl:a-
ment has on two occasions expressed
itself in favor Of port Improvement
work IN the French establishments of
Oceania. with a view TO sharing in
the benefits of the vast world traffic
that will be affected and augmented by
the Panama canal
a French parliamentary report has
been made showing what countries Will
find it to their interest to route e&-
changes through the canal. Among
OlnSF lnlHBSr lIllS report SHOWS Ifdt All
the commerce of eastern United States
and Canada with Australia will pass
through the canal: that the Commerce
Of the eastern United States with New
Zealand will employ the canal route;
that large part, II not the whole. OF
the commerce of Europe with New Zea-
land will adopt the canal route: but
that there will be little advantage in
doing the commerce of Europe with
Australia through the canal route.
These calculations are made from a |
consideration OF relative distances, time
of voyage, and saving OF expenses. 4 !
number of routes or trade, however !
are not considered in the report For |
instance, nothing il said about South /
American trade with Europe or with '
this country. and nothing appears with /,
reference TO European trade with the Z
western coast OF the United States or {
the Pacific theater in general The !
French report is confined to the con- !
Sideration mainly OF trade with Aug !
tralia and New Zealand