Evening journal., 1917-05-12

things that modern armies demand
as working equipment. And all of
the millions of tons Of goods that
these thousands of dollars mean must
be transported by land and by sea to
be of any use.
Modern war spells ruin for con-
ouered nations. humiliation for mil
lions of individual pawns in the
game and tremendous suffering for
populations directly in its route, but
it also means the feverish activity Of
the rest OF the world to make good its
ravages and consequent commercial
prosperity for many communities
The S5O.000,00O worth Of cargo ships
already authorized by Congress-an
expenditure which may be multiplied
many times over before the end Is
neutrality-suspicious. not merely the
means for temporarily replacing the
losses in ocean carriers OccasiOned
by war, but it almost necessarily
marks the re-entry into the worlds
carrying trade, on a worthy scale, by
the United States, after a lapse Of
more than half a century since the
commerce raiders of Civil War times
practically drove our flag from the
seas.
"The United States has already be-
come and will long continue 10 be,
the greatest creditor nation on the
globe, and the enormous financial
balance in our favor must be paid Off
or reduced by the debtor nations in
articles Of trade. Our splendid isola-
ton and independence of the rest OF
the world for the century and a half
during which we followed the prin-
ciples OF the fathers. and to a large
extent succeeded in avoiding en-
tangling alliances, both political and
commercial, are over. and we must.
perforce, now become the greatest
| world trader Of history.
Efficient HarbOr Equipment.
"Ships cannot operate successfully
without efficient harbor equipment.
Our ports-or at least those OF the
Atlantic seaboard-have had the most
prosperous period in their history in
the two years since the compare
tive paralysis of trade at the begin
ming of the war, and practically all
OF them are contemplating radical
extensions of their existing facilities.
In New York the demand for addi-
tional pier space Is loud and insist
ent, and is being met as fast as the
means OF the dock department will
permit. Boston, despite formidable
handicaps which might deter a less
determined population than the New
England Yankee has in progress a
S14.O00.000 program for the improve
ment of the port. Philadelphia has al.
ready expended in the last few years.
nearly S5.000O00 In the rehabilitation
of its port equipment. and is now go.
ing after maritime trade in deadly
earnest with another allotment of
more than $40 100000 for direct water
front improvements, and $4,000, 600
additional for the reconstruction Of
its downtown railroad situation,
mainly for the benefit OF the port IT,
self Baltimore, Norfolk and the
South Atlantic and Gulf ports in gen.
eral, are all alive to the situation and
are preparing for It, Even New Or
leans, already head and shoulders
above any other eastern or south
ern port in most respects, has still
more ambitious work in contempla
ton for early commencement. In
fact. New Orleans. with the usual
astuteness which has characterized
it's port history for the past quarter
century, has laid its plans fore-hand
eddy to grab the lions share Of the
new trade with the west coast Of both
North and South America. through
the Panama Canal, which inevitably
viii develop as soon as marine car