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

charges from the saving of eighty days
at sea at SIS per day. or total OF
S6OOO the net saving to the operator
would be $4,000.
This mathematical demonstration of
the money value of the canal to sailing
ships may be subject to some variation,
but the outstanding fact is the passage
both of big and little sailing vessels
through the canal, and the conclusion
of so conservative an official as Gov.
Goethals and his associates that the
canal route is favorable to them.
The experience in regard to traffic
routes, making allowance for the upset
caused by the world war. in the main
justifes anticipations. Thus far, the
chief volume of traffic is the coastwise
trade; that is. from the Atlantic TO the
Pacific and vice versa. This runs above
40 per cent of the total volume.
During the first six months of opera
tion the cargo tonnage was pretty
evenly balanced. since it Appropriated
100000 tons each way. Later months
of the year. however. 90 not ma
this equilibrium For example, during
the month of May the eastoouho "a"
goes were little in excess OF '''o'o
tons. while the .westbound were more
than $4,000. The figures Tor the iuii
year are not yet available.
The nature of this coast"ise traiie
ia pretty we'll understood and does not
need detailed analysis. From the "a
ciac coast to the Atlantic it consists Oh
,,,nher wines. fruits, fish, some ores
and general products. Hawaiian sugar
also NAV BE considered part OF the
coastwise commerce. From the Aliah-
tic to the Pacific the cargoes consist Oh
general merchandise, coal. structural
iron and miscellaneous machinery.
The traffic from the Pacific coast to
Europe has been largely OF sraih'
which constitutes more than one-hai1'
and of general produce similar to the
eastbound American coastwlse trace
The traffic from Europe has been heht'
due in part to war conditions.
Canada. it is to be observed. SHARES
the benefit of the canal equally WI" III
the United States Vancouver finds "a
elites for shipping the products OF the
Pacific coast section of the Dominion
to Halifax st. John, Montreal ana que
bee, and receiving merchandlse iIol.
these ports on the same terms una
shin to New York and Boston and Ne"
Orleans.
X
Vancouver benefits equally with the
Pacific ports of the United states In the
shipment of grain to Great Britain.
Experience has shown that wheat can
be so handled as not to deterlorate IN
the hot, moist regions of the canal.
In the traffic with the far east it may
almost be said thus far to be one
way commerce. There are few car
goes from that section of the world,
while the outgoing commerce through
the canal to Australia and New Zea-
land, as well as to Japan and China.
has been heavy.
The disproportion is because the ma
jority of the vessels which go out over
this route load in the far east for Eu-
ropean ports. or return first to the Pa
cific coast of North America. discharg-
ing their cargoes there and reloading.
The commo ODDITIES coming through the
canal from the far east include silk,
tea, WOOL vegetable oils and curios,
none of which, with the possible excep-
ton of wool, form heavy tonnage.
Outgoing shipments to the FAR east
consist of petroleum, raw cotton and
manufactured goods. including textiles.
structural steel, railway material and
machinery. The bulk of the cotton
goes to japan.
One of the shipments which hardly
would be looked for was wheat from
ST. Johns, n. B., to New Zealand. New
Zealand is not a wheat-growing coun-
try, and Australia, from which part of
her supply Is drawn, suffered crop
shortage last year.
The canal has proved of some mill
tary advantage to Russia. Not all the
war munitions that are going to Vladi-
vostok are shipped across the continent
to Seattle and then transferred to the
ocean carriers. A considera BILE quantity
of munitions has gone from the At