Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-06-05
U-BOAT RAID BIG
POINT IN FAVOR
OF INLAND CANAL
Congressman Moore Urges Gov
ernment to Take Over
c. 81 d.
ASKS FOR AN INQUIRY

The submarine attack off the Ameri-
can coast was interpreted IN the House
by Representative ] Hampton Moore
of Philadelphia. at Washington Yesterday
as direct German threat against The
vast shipbuilding operations on the Della
ware river The New Jersey coast, he
said. had proved the natural point OF
German assault because the 'mted States
thus far had failed to utilize ITS inland
WATERWAYS To give American warShips,
transports and supply ships greater free
dom in reaching the open seas.
The Philadelphia Representative as
crtbed the situation entirely To the re-
fusal of Congress 70 appropriate the
paltrv few millions necessary To make
a thirtccn-milc cut through the Mary
land-Dclaware peninsula and thirty
ouc-milc cut over To New York Bay
through the valley Of New Jersey
In presenting a resolution calling upon
the War Department tor specific lnforma-
ton on the progress of an authorized
project Of Condcmnlng and deepening
the ChcSaDcakc and Delaware Canal and
Il government investigation looking to the
opening Of the Delaware River and Earl-
tan BAY Canal. Mr. Moore asserted that
the attack, while probably a mere Sklr-
m>h. presented vital problem n war
preparation for the nation - solN,.
Two such canals. Mr. Moore said. con
uer1InC the Delaware where the huIk OF
Ancucan ship construction IS under
way. with New York and Chesapeake
BAYS. meant an inland route connecting
the great ports % Boston New York.
Philadelphia, Baltimore and Hampton
Reads and adequate waterways 10 ma
nclIvcr American war~hips and transports
successfully m he event % undcrsca
attack lie sand
Along the Jersey coast most Of tins
work was done ~lx vessels nj least
Wgr, sunk within fifty mules Of that
coast between the ports u New YORK.
and Philadelphia Most u our ~mphuid-
ina !, being done inside this coast This
Is ,l.r great reliance "a carry orr troops
munitions and supplies abroad The
onl, way for these ships "a got To sea
Is doun the Delaware River down Della
war BAY past Cape MAY and Cape
Iiculopon
NAY sTnr t~ePORTATIoN
What would IN .,lcrt enemy 10 who
wanted to forcStall the use Of those
shll~o W hat would M cnemx DO who
wanted IL stop orr transportation. stop
tho relief IN troops and supplies to our
soldiers abroad WHY he would circle
around the mouth OF Delaware Bay. and
If he WAS in sufficient force he might
STOP those vessels coming out or catch
and sink them aS fast .tS the shipping
board could turn them out Without a
canal to Norfolk and Baltimore without
u canal to New York there Is no other
Wav for our new ships TO get out
\ II Il Il L L
dicted Just such submarine RAID, and
reminded members he had insisted many
times that an additional channel should
Chesapeake Bay
ii We had these canals through or
the waterways already existing i'm
proved, then ships built on the Delaware
IN New York or at Norfolk could pass
out 1T no fewer than -four points and en-
circle the enemy 81 sea
Give Us these cuts and We Will have
FIVE points along the coast from Norfolk
TO Boston. every one Of which should he
available TO pass vessels from navy yard
10 navy ward inside when the enemy ls
known to be outside
COST OF CANALS SIT, 900 900.
In 8 recent address on the army ap-
preparation bll Mt. Moore compiained
that the canal projects were allowei ~
slunber when it seemed easy 10 obtain
SI1 900 900 for picric acid plants in the
South. which probably would not be
until after the war He SAID
today that engineers had estimated the
cost OF deepening the Delaware-C hesa-
peake Canal for ship transportation al
sic. 100000 and canal from Borden
town. Y J., to Rarltan Bay could he
built for $4,000 600
Authorization for condemnation BY
the army of the Delaware-C Chesapeake
anal already had been made, Mr.
Moore said, but the proceedings were
held UP In the office OF the Attorney Gen
eral