Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-08

lantic ports through the canal direct
to Vladivostok
When the Panama waterway was un-
der construction there was speculation
as to the effect on the Suez canal. The
normal effect cannot be determined
now. because the war has to some ex-
tent dislocated the Suez traffic But
there have been some definite results
i'm the shifting of international trade
currents
Six months after the Panama canal
was opened a dispatch from Vancouver
told of the event which marked the
close of the famous Liverpool-Puget
sound service via the Suez canal and
the orient. The liner Antilochus sailed
from Victoria. the last of the fleet to
steam direct to the Mersey BY using
the Suez canal seventy days were re-
CURED to reach Vancouver from Liver
pool. BY way of Panama cargoes could
be landed in British Columbia thirty
hve days after the ship left Liverpool.
Hence the final voyage Of the Antilo-
chus, the blue funnel liner, through
Suez.
South American trade is receiving so
much attention in the United States
tnat the erect of the canal in stimulat-
ing 1T on the west coast is worth look
ing into. Thus far the west coast has
been the chief beneficiary.
At one time there was : ouestion
whether the toll of $50 a ton would
really make it profitsb BILE to bring the
Chilean nitrates through the canal,
~
go. The doubt has been speedily solved.
The nitrates are moving through the
waterway in large quantities. The adj
dltional use for explosives due to the
war is very far from making up for
the loss OF the demand for the nitrates
as fertilizers by the European coun-
tries. but it is evident that the bulk
of them when normal conditions are
restored will move through the canal
me nitrate traffic is partly sailing
snip traffic. In the harbor of Iuuioui
during the season of shipment usually
may be seen the largest sailing fleet
that may be encountered anywhere in
the world. Some of the four-masted
French sailing vessels engaged in this
trade are among the largest sailing
ships af1oat.
Since the canal administration has
shown the feasibility of the canal for
sailing craft, it may be that when the
normal European demand for the nj
trates is restored the nitrate fleet will
work it's way up the west coast in
stead of passing down and around Cane
Horn.
Charles M. Schwabs Chilean iron ore
properties are already sending their
products through the canal Copper.
nj
Peru and Chile, follows it's direct course
across the isthmus without railway
'transhipment, as was formerly re-
CURED. The copper industry is receiv-
ing some stimulus on this account.
Some of the cargoes also go directly
through the canal to England.
Bolivian tin concentrates, which are
as bulky as the nitrates, still follow
is little question that by another year
a part of them at least will be trans
ported through the canal.
Crude sugar from Peru and the prod,
ucts Of the Peruvian oil fields in the
shape of fuel oil are also now coming
through the canal.
The United States is shipping about
one-half as much through the canal to
the west coast of South America as it
receives The cargoes consist of gen
eral merchandise. structural material
and machinery. There is room for an
increase in this trade, if proper enter
prise is shown.
The steamship lines in the United
States which run to Colon have not yet
extended their sailings down the west
coast, though they have all the facili-
ties for doing this, and have prepared
for it.
Peru, SO far, has shown the most en-
terpriSe in taking adva ntage of the
canal to promote it's commerce by
means of through steamship facilities.
Baltimore, on it's part, is the one