Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-08
THE PANAMA CANAL is BUSY
BY FREDERIC J. IiAskIN

course. the great shortening Of tho
distance between the Atlantic and pa
cifc coasts The building OF the canal
has greatly chcnpcncd and simpliflcd
tho problem OF building AN adequate
American navy by making II possible
TO get war vessels from ono side OF tho
continent to the other In two-nrths tho
time, or less, than 1t would otherwise
require. Thus. neither the Atlantic
nor the Pacific fleet has to be raised
10 the strength that would be neces-
sary without canal. since cithor feet
can re-enforce the other. except In the
more remote cvcntuallty of attack
from both sides ut once. Tho old dis
tancc from New York to San Francisco
was over $4,000 nautical miles. Via
tile canal II Is only 500 miles. With
out the canal. vessels Off the Atlantic
ami Pacific coasts were practically
across the world from each other. The
canal Is not only valuable from a de-
fensive point Of Wow in timo of war.
but II saves the nation an enormous
amount OF money In sending battle
SHIPS from coast to coast.
Moreover. the canal serves war vcs-
sells on such Il journey as n naval base
and solves the fuel problem. The ca
nal coaltng plants have an emergency
capacity OF 100000 tons. and arc plan
neu to carry an ordinary store of 50O,-
QUO tons. That both entrances to tho
canal are adequately fortified against
strenE thontng tho defenses has pro-
ceedcd steadily through these unset
tied times. Military trails through the
tropical junsles OF the isthmus. gun
mortnr batteries at both terminal Is.
searchlights. modern systems for
range finding aud frc-control assure
the security of this vital point against
attack. il is particularly fortunate
that tho slides should have been clean
cd up 80 opportunely. for while the
engineers in charge never had any
doubts that the difficulties OF Gold IIill
and Cucaracha would he ultimately
conquered. IL was seen as quite pos
sibie that the banks would Slide for
a longer time than they actually did.
Dry Dock of Great Value.
Among other facilities that tho canal
offers TO naval vessels Is IA I.o0o-foot
modern dry-dock. recently completed.
large enough 10 take any of our bat
tieships. Any Dreadnnught in tho
navy can pass through the canal with
ease. The size of the largest war vcs-
sci which the locks can handle was
recently calculated at $4,000 tons,
which leaves quite margin for in
crease in size.
Some idea of the importance OF the
canal 10 world commerce is given by
the fact that at present more than
thirty different steamship lines oper-
ate vessels on schedules more or less
regular. passing through the canal.
this in spite OF tho fact that the pas
sage was only reopencd less than n
year ago. and the shipping of the world
~ demoralized az result OF the war.
These lines ply between the Atlantic
coast Of the United States and thu
west coasts OF South and Central
America; between Europe and the west
coast Of South America. between Eu-
rope and our own Pacific Coast; from
the Atlantic coast of the United States
to Japan, China the Philipnincs or TO
Australia and tho South Seas. and from
Europe 10 Australia. And these lines
do not represent the bulk Of the traf-
ne.
The heaviest trade through the canal
Is between the Atlantic and Pacific
ports OF the United States, and at pres,
ent there is no line operating boats on
a regular schedule OH this run, al
though in 1919 the freight carried be-
tween such points amounted to 40 per
cent OF the total British and Amcri-
can boats make up by far the larger
part OF the shipping. vessels OF these
two flags using the canal in about
equal numbers. Ships OF fifteen or
more nations pass through with some
regularity. AS result Of this world
traffic. the population Of the isthmus
is probably the most cosmopolitan in
the world III proportion 10 its num-
bcrs. About 81 900 people arc included
in the strip OF American territory. and
the police records last year showed
that the law dealt with men Of sixty
six different nationalities.
On the whole. a study OF the busi-
ness that the canal has been doing for
the last few months cannot fail TO be
gratifying Ia every American. The
task OF building was the most stu
pendous OF it's kind ever attempted,
and the achievement is proving profit
able from every point OF view.