Smyrna times., 1915-12-15
DELAWARE AND CHESAPEAKE
CANAL AID FOR DEFENSE
HON. J. HAMPTON MOORE URGES
THE INLAND WATER ROUTE

Regrets President Wilson Old Not
Touch Upon Delaware Canal and
Other Routes in His Message.
Representative J. Hampton Moore.
of Pennsylvania. president of the At
antic Deeper Waterways Association.
was one of the chief speakers at
Thursdays session Of the Rivers and
Harbors Convention in Washington, |
D. e. The purchase by the govern
ment of the Chesapeake and Delaware |
Canal was discussed by Mayor Pres
ton. of Baltimore, and Mr.. Moore and |
other speakers as a means Of increas-
ing our national defenses. "The mes
sage which President Wilson read to
US on Tuesday contemplated large in
creases of expenditures for the army
and navy" Mr. Moore said. cit is
proposed to pay for this increase by
additional taxes. which ultimately
must be levied upon industry and en-
terprise. / regret there was no word
in the message showing how we might
relieve the plain people of this
burden. had hoped the President
would tell us to develop our inland
resources, improve our inland river
and harbors so that we might relieve
the railroad congestion and give 60
commerce and industry a chance to
recoup the taxes which preparedness
for war involves.
Needs on Coast for inland Routes
"Along the Atlantic coast. in par
ticular. we are woefullY lacking in
streams of adequate depth to accom-
modate even the smallest of vessels
of war embraced in the Presidents
program. If we proceed with the
construction of these vessels we must
not only provide havens for their
safety and repair, but we must also
have our house in order tc permit
them to move from one naval base to
another. The inside water courses
that we went for commerce are es-
sential to any plan Of naval prepared
ness. If the navy is the first line
of defense. these inland waterways
are surely The second. To send fleet
to sea to meet an enemy of equal
strength would be foolhardy propo-
sition if we had no place to which the
fleet might return. If our fleet should
be driven into the Chesapeake il would
be bottled tip. because none of the
vessels would be able to pass through
the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal
to reach the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
and they would not be able to get ou;
by way Of New York. because of the
inadequacy Of the Delaware and Rari.
tan Canal.
Condition a Hindrance TO Commerce
Apart from the naval inadequaey
2 of these waterways, which would b,
our humiliation in the event Of attack
! they are also in their present condi
{ tion hindranee TO commerce. Tn,
$ railroads are eongested today just a
I they were in 1907. yet we are toI,
= that we must wait on the railroad
l. and be satisfied with our waterway
Il as they have stood for q hundre
- years IL is an absurd proposition
Il which Congress ought to remedy
4 "We would be far better prepared I
:, meet an adversary If we would qui
l. worrying about foreign conditions an
" pay more attention TO our own. AL
=. though we should have a large arm
d. and a large navy. neither establish
ment could last long without the sur
!. port and confidence Of the men VIII
o' feel that what they have and whs
ne they hope for in the United States
worth paying for or worth fightin
ie for. With our second line Of defens
based upon commerce and industr
properly encouraged and protected
there need he no feer about our abb
ity 10 properly uphold our first In
of defense" Mr.. Moore insisted thi
the preparedness plan would be Il
complete unless the improvement
rivers and hsrbors went along with ]
Oelawareans Named Among Office
eoi The Rivers and Harbors Congre
late Thursday elected former Co
gresham William H. Hesld, Of w
mington Del, as one of the vic
! presidents; Congressman Thomas 7
~ Miller, also Of Wilmington memt
Of the committee on resolutions, a
Captain Philip ReybOld, Of Delaws
"a City, Del, ss q member Of the col
q mittee on nominations. IL is und,
stood that Congressman Miller will
~ given at least one large commit
assignment when Minority Lea,
anu Mann makes up his committee
a which he will submit to Major
~ Leader Claude Kitchen late Fric
,ns afternoon. AS secretary 10 forr
Congressman Heald, Mr.. Miller '