Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-10-14
THE PANAMA
CANAL AT WORK
By Frederic ]. Haskin
[Continued from Editorial Page.l


continental railroads is the first ques-
tion that suggests itself, The canal
has been in operation too short a
time, and business conditions have
been too abnormal, for a reliable
answer to be given. 1t may be stated
that the railroads have not suffered
from the canal as yet. but experts
predict that this competition will ul-
timately have a very important ef-
feet upon the transcontinental hauls.
both in rates and amounts of COM
modities carried.
Many Tramp Steamers
To the patriotic American. how
ever. the energy and success with
which American ship owners have
entered into this new domestic traffic
are even more gratifying than the
cheap transportation which Ii affords.
All of the American lines plying
through the canal, in the face of
strong temptation to make large
profits out of the European munition
| trade. have not only kept their ves-
sells upon the Panama route, but have
built new ones to take care of the in
creased traffic which they anticipate
| The America Havana line, the w. r.
Grace line, the Luckenback Company
are all regular users of the canal. and
der construction. In addition to these
great freight-carrying companies,
many tramp steamers for this new
American trade route are being built
in American shipyards.
The Panama Pacific Steamship
Company is operating two giant
freight and passenger steamers, the
kroonland and Finland. through the
canal. The United Fruit Company has
splendid fleet of white steamers,
carrying both freight and passengers
and the Panama Railroad Steamship
company is making regular saillngs
between New York and Colon.
This commerce must always be car
ried in American bottoms because of
the time-honored law that the coast
wise traffic of the United States shall
be carried in no other. Its steady
growth and the construction of new
ships to participate in 1t promise the
development of an American mer-
chant marine, which will provide us
with splendid fleet of naval auxiliar-
les to be called upon in time of war.
American Vessels Missing
On the other great trade routes
which pass through the Panama
Canal 1t is literally true that not an
American vessel may be found. The
traffic to South America, Australasia
and the Orient is being carried by
odpaHeSe, 1ldlldHS ana FTenCnmen.
Why is 1t that the American shippers,
who have been so quick to seize the
opportunity to carry the commerce
between our own coasts, have allowed
foreign nations to monopolize all the
other traffic through our great water
way?
There are several very adequate
reasons. When the Panama Canal
was nearing completion, all of the
great maritime nations of the world
made plans to subsidiZe their regular
steamship lines so as to cover the cost
of tolls, just as they did at Suez. Some
of these plans have been held up be-
cause of the war, but the government
OF Japan has already subsidized line
of Japanese steamers, operating be-
tween japanese ports and New York
and Boston, via the canal.
Also, under the recently enacted
seaman's bill, American shipping COM
panies are compelled to pay from $40
to s55 a month to their seamen. The
men who do the same work on the
japanese ships get IS month. Amer
lean shippers cannot be expected TO
compete against this double advan-
tage of heavy subsidy and low wages.
Predicts Increase
When the war is over there is not
the slightest doubt that the other
great maritime nations will carry out
their subsidy plans. There will be an
immense increase of traffic through
the canal. Not a single Austrian or
German ship has used it since the war
began. These nations, eager to re-
cover their heavy losses, will undoubt-
edly enter the business with a rush
as soon as peace is made. The ship
ping of Great Britain, Italy and
France will also be greatly increased.
All of this will be money in Uncle
y
eign commerce he will see not a sin
gle ship flying the Stars and Stripes.
The coast-to-coast traffic, however, is
building American ships and training
American seamen. Every patriotic
American hopes to see the day when
this fleet of American vessels will
again sail all the trade routes of the
world.
The Panama Canal has carried very
little of the traffic that the experts
had prophesied would fall to its lot,
and a great deal which they did not
believe it would be able to get at all.
Thus authorities on ocean traffic had
calculated that the American coast
forecast trade would be only one-tenth
of the whole. AS matter of fact, It
is about half On the other hand, the
citrus fruit shipments, the lumber
from the Pacific. and coal from the
Atlantic, the rubber from the East
per from South America, which were
to furnish the canal with most of its
| business, according to the forecasters
have not passed that way in any great
/ quantities.
Great Possibilities
Undoubtedly, however, all these in
! dustries offer great possibilities to
| canal traffic, and some of them are
already showing signs of development.
The Bethlehem Steel Company, for
example, has acquired some splendid
iron mines in Chile. The mines were
partially developed by a French COM
pany under contract with the Chilean
Government, but this project failed
and the great American steel COM
pany acquired the right to work them
upon favorable terms. Rich ores from
these mines are now regularly being
carried through the Panama Canal to
the Pennsylvania smelters.
AS time goes on it will be interest
ing to observe the shifting of the
great trade routes as a result of this
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