The mirror., 1915-04-15
PANAMA;ALAND d.
VIDEDAW WORLD UNITED
The Achievements of the
us. in the waterway
at Panama.
Historic Plans and Dreams Of Dividing the
American Continent by a Canal finally
Achieved by US. Engineering Science
and Courage After Repeated Failure by
Other Nations.
ChautduQId Paper By J.E.C.

ChGutduqud Paper By J.E.C.
This year is to see the consuma-
tion of an idea generated over two
thousand years ago, 500 B.C. in the
ripest days of Grecian intellect, an
idea which has given to the world
more of achievement and of pro-
gress than has any other single idea
originating of man.
The completion and opening OF
the Panama Canal to the overseas
traffic of the world makes fact of the
theory advanced by Aristotle, Sene-
ca. and Pliny: of directly western
route from Europe to Asia; makes
real the dreams of western water
way from Spain to the country of
the great Khan. and the tabled
riches of Cathay, which inspired the
life of Christopher Columbo. the
Genoese sailor who doubled the size
of the known world. and with the
Suez Canal makes possible the al
most direct clrcumnavigation of the
Earth. The American nation is this
year to give to the world boon
which it has craved for years, and
oddly enough, one. the seeking after,
made possible the life of our nation.
Columbus sought to give the world
a westerly water route to Asia, and
though he did not succeed directly,
he did give it a new hemisphere, the
principle nation of which is today
about TO open the passage-way he
sought. He died believing he had
accomplished what had been the
main purpose of his life, and this is
we'll, for in the larger sense it is
true.
In opening the Panama Canal the
American nation is completing an
achievement which is fitting to rank
with the achievements of De Cana,
of Magellan, and only short of that
of Columbus; for while we do not
give the world a new continent, we
do give it a route Of communication
which brings the nations of the earth
into vastly closer touch one with
another; which opens up. on the one
hand, the vast resources of the Or
lent to the nations of Europe and
America, and on the other, the NOR
al and intellectual culture as we'll as
the social and industrial progress of
the west, to the Oriental nations, as
has never before been possible; and
which, through the actions of the
natural stimulation of trade relations
that will follow, works for that lar
ger international and inter-racial
understanding and dependence
which makes possible comfy be-
tween divergent temperaments. hab
it's, and customs; and brings nearer
the supreme measure of ultimate
progress, universal peace, and co.
operation.
As has been said, the idea of di
rect water communication westward
from Europe to Asia is not of mod
ern origin. Columbus was the frs
man to attempt to put it 10 practica
test. but it had been advanced Ion!
before his time, Ptolemy's map
show Asia and Europe ON opposit
sides of comparatively narrow sea
Berosius, Pliny. Seneca. and Aris
tole have given us evidence in thei
writings that even in those remot
days few scholars believed tn
world was round, with but the AT
lantic Ocean separating Easter
Asia from Western Europe.
Columbus believed that he ha
reached part of Asia. and eve
after it was known that he had foun'
a hitherto unknown land, the belle
in a western waterway to Asia still
persisted.