The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-09-16
.OcALA IS INTERESTED
Inland Waterways, Said Admiral Ben
son, to the Atlantic Association.
are of First Importance
(Associated Press)

Cioh VI d great system OF nIanQ Wa
! terways and coastal canals for com.
mercial use in time of peace and tc
meet an imperative need in war was
advocated by Admiral Benson, chief
OF naval operations, in a speech here
last night before the Atlantic Deeper
Waterways Association. The value to
the United States of such a system,
the admiral declared was sufficient
from both an economic and military
point of view to justify bond issue
to help pay the cost of construction.
Admiral Benson reminded the con-
vention of the recently threatened
railroad strike, pointing out how it
would have effected progress and pre-
paredness of the nations first line de-
cense.
'The industrial advantages of the
plentiful and continuous inland water
transportation" he said, shave been
given much attention, but, in my opin-
ion, the military value of such sys-
eSii VI WdICi ways ID IIOL ISdIiZSQ ny
the public. The threatened railroad
strike, however, emphasized to the
navy department. how greatly an ade-
quate system of transportation by in
land waterways would add to national
preparedness.
"The threat to stop rail transporta-
ton in way simulated war condi-
tions. Realizing this, the navy depart
ment set about, when the possibility
of strike arose, to devise ways of
getting supplies and materials other
than by railroad.
"The vital points from which trans
portation must be secured were found
to be the Great Lakes, Schenectady,
Pittsburg and vicinity, New Haven
and vicinity, Bethlehem and vicinity,
Easton and vicinity and the coal fields
of West Virginia.
"The Massachusetts district was
found to be, with on or two minor ex-
ceptions, easily reached by water. The
Erie canal solved the problem of all
the great manufacturers on the Great
Lakes, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland,
Buffalo and Milwaukee. The Lehigh
canal, although not kept up as it
should be, gave us relief from Easton.
The Delaware river provided an out
let from Philadelphia, Wilmington and
that section. The Hudson extended the
Erie canals facilities to New York
and also provided an outlet for the
electrical material from Schnectady
and vicinity.
"When it came to Pittsburg, how
ever, trouble arose. 1t was first
thought that satisfactory deliveries
could be made from the Ohio river to
Portsmouth, thence by the Ohio and
Erie canal to Cleveland, or via the
Ohio to the Muskingum and thence via
the Ohio and Erie canal to Dresden.
These canals were represented as be-
ing in active operation and prepara-
tions were made to use these routes
if necessary. Both these routes had
been allowed to become useless be-
cause of the failure of the state of
Qhia-4te provide appropriations for
their upkeep. Similar conditions have
rendered useless the other waterways.
"Had these canals been kept up,
they would have enabled the depart
ment to ship heavy plates and the
necessary material for construction
and repair work on battleships from
Pittsburg via canal directly to New
York. The failure to keep them up
necessitated the working out of an
elaborate trolley. route to. Buffalo,
which, at it's best, would have pro-
vided for only a small fraction of the
$500 tons which were needed within
six weeks at the New York yard
alone, and this in time of peace with
no war demands to be considered.
"The canal from Easton to Bristol
was found to be too small. The Le-I
high canal, being under the control of
railroads, was also in poor shape for
transportation, and the Morris canal,
so far as information could be secur-
ed, was practically out of business.
With these routes open and kept eff
cient, the all-important armor plate
district of Bethlehem would be free of
the necessity of using railroad trans
portation.
"In considering the coal districts,
upon which a large portion OF our
merchant vessels depend, the situa-
ton was found to be hopeless. With
out railroads, coal would lie idle at
the mines and ships would lie idle at
their moorings after very brief ces-
sation of railroad traffic. A water
system for these mines would appear
to be most imperative military ne
cessity.
"Some of the canals which we
would like to use IN time of emergen-
cy are leased to railroads by longtime
contracts and the railroads have not
kept them up or encouraged their use.
1t would seem wise military precau-
ton, also, that railroads leasing
canals should be required to keep
them in operating condition under