Evening journal., 1916-12-07
BENSON IND0RSES
C.. Cd. CANAL PLAN
MAY Mean Difference Be-
tween Victory and De-
feat lie Declares
CANNOT ESTIMATE
VALUE IN MONEY

WASHINGTON, n. c., Dec. THAT
the construction Of an intercoastal canal
40 which the Chesapeake and Delaware
canal would be % par may mean to the
United States The differ nee between
victory and defeat, was sta-ad yeacrday
by Rear Admiral William f. Benson
ch.cf Of operators Of the navy, in an
address before the national Rivers aud
Han boz. Congress,
Rear Admiral Benson formerly Was
conmandant OF the Philadelphia Navy
and, and Is familiar with the canal
PROJECT lie discussed waterways i'm.
prorcmcnt FROM the standpoint OF ma
tional preparedness
Any expenditure mad. In the i'm.
piovemert OF ihc canal be said, soon
would be- more cha noffset by the
saving in fuol costs which the canal
would offset and n time OF war he
added. ii combination OF enemies
should force the American fleet from th.
high -eas If vould be oi incalculahle adj
vantage 80 the navy ID lis ships wer,
able TO ma"euver between New Norb
and Norfolk 10y means ot protected
inland passage.
'The American plan i'm event of war
on the seas is 10 90 ont 10 meet the
enemy and keen h'm away from the
coast" said Admiral Benson. land it
is 20 ba hoDed that our fleet viii never
be ccmnellei go seek shelter in forti-
fed larbOrs Bur We can IMAGINE that
a combination of Powers IN eht make
II necessary 10 seek refuge in inland
waters protected bv shore batteries.
"A project of direct concern N Q
strategic way to the navy and hence
70 the country. therefore IS that OF a
continuous inira-coastal waterway
along our Atlantic coast from New
England 20 South Carolina Such q
canal would eventually connect Bos-
ton with New York Bay, with Long
Island Sound the Delaware River and
Bay. Chesapeake BAY and the Sounds
OF North Carolina and Beaufort Inlet.
While the cost OF such canal VIII he
street. It's economy I'm fuel and protec-
tion against shiDwreck may be made
20 nav the bill: and the step toward
national preparedness from such a
system Of canals cannot be estimated
in money II may mean to the coun-
try the difference between victory
and defeat
For instance, IL orr feet were conf
PEELED to scck shelter behind our
coas, fortihcations. say al Hampton
Roads il would be bottled as effective
" as we shut in the Spanish fleet at
Santiago. II there were a ship canal
connecting the Chesapeake and Della
ware Bays the enemy fleet would
have 10 split up. for there would
then he q two-hole bottle 20. cork. Bet
Ter still, II the Delaware were. in
turn connected with New York Bay
the enemy would have to do some
more plotting. and it does not take q
strategist 10 see what the result
would be.
From Chesapeake Bay TO Delaware
BAY s hut "A miles, and .hese waters
are already connected by a canal T.
convert this canal into sea-level
waterway sufficient to pass our light
draft warsh.ps will cost less than the
price OF one bqttlesh p. Along this in
land waterway from New York 70 The
Chesapeake are the greatest gun fac
tories. powder factories and sh'pyarda
Of the navy and the greatest Yards for
the construct on of war hips In the
entire country Such q waterway will
give easy and safe water connection
between all these factories. one which
WI he under protection Of shore for
tifcations for this entire distance.
Such waterways along our Atlant'C c