The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-09-16

directly to New York The failure to
keep them up recessitated the working
out of an elaborate trolley route to Buff
falo, which, at its best, would have pro-
vided for only small fraction OF the
/ $500 tons which were needed within SIX
weeks at the Nsw York yard alone, and
| this in time OF peace with no war de-
mands to be considered
The canal from Easton TO Bristol was
! found to be too small, The Lehigh ca
nal, being under the control OF railroads,
was also in poor shape for transporta
! tion, and the Morris canal, so far a. m
formation could be secured, was practi-
cally ont OF business with these routes
open and kept efficient, the all-important
armor plate district of Bethlehem would
be free OF the necessity OF using rail
road transportation.
I'm considering the coal districts, upon
which a large portion of our merchant
vessels depend, the situation was found
to be hopeless. Without railroads, coal
would lie idle at the mines and ships
would lie idle at their moorings after a
very brief cessation of railroad traffic.
A water system from these mines would
appear to be a most imperative military
necessity.
"Some Of the canals which we would
like to use in time of emergency are
leased TO railroads by longtime con-
tracts and the railroads have not kept
them up or encouraged their use. 1t
would seem a wise military precaution
also that railroads leasing canals should
be required to keep them in operating
condition under penalty of forfeiture OF
lease.
"Our principal navy yards, private
shipbuilding plants, arms and munition
factories, powder magazines, etc. are To-
Gated along or near the Atlantic coast.
A system of adequate internal water
ways connecting all these activities
would be of value beyond estimate.
"As a concrete example of what it
would mean to the safety of the nation,
| will indicate briefly the value of a suf-
ficiently deep and wide canal between the
Delaware and Chesapeake bays. Should
our navy. in time of war, meet supe-
rior hostile fleet along our middle or
southern Atlantic coast Chesapeake bay
would naturally be the refuge for any
injured ships. At such a time the com
bined use of the docks at Norfolk and
Philadelphia might be vital. An ade
ouate canal between the two bays would
accomplish this big step toward pre-
paredness.
"The same applies with equal force to
q canal between deep water in the Della
ware river and New York harbor and
Long Island sound. This would add two
more exits to guard by blockader, thus |
causing still further division of his
force, and divisions of force, as you will |
readily understand, are contrary to a
principle of combat on which success
very largely depends -concentration.
"a system of canals connecting the |
various ports along our Atlantic coast |
would facilitate and safeguard the pas
sage of submarines, destroyers, torpedo |
boats. fast motorboats, etc, up and down
our coast, wherever and whenever they |
might be needed
Information from abroad clearly |
shows the immense economic and mill
tarv Importance of the canal systems,
of Germany. in time of war.
Quick transportation of war materials
md men and the enormous and UNI
dreamed of demand for supplies have
been two outstanding features of the
present war.
"The military needs alone have almost
Exhausted every transportation resource
abroad, and in addition there is the
'iviian population which must be fed.
.lothed and provided for in many ways,
md in this transportation forms an es
ential part"