Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-04
U.BOATS SHOW NEED
OF INLAND WATERWAY
Moore Tells House His Pro.
posed Channel Would Serve
Well Now
BRINGS DANGER HOME
Says Course From Boston to
North Carolina Would Avert
Present Peril
b. q StuT Correspondent
Washington, June 1.

Washington, June 1.
The attention of Congress and the
country was today called by Congress
man j. Hampton Moore. of Pennsyl-
vania, to the advantage American ship
ping would now have in eluding the
German submarines lying in wait off
the Jersey coast If the plan for an in
land waterway from Boston to Beaufort.
y. C, had been carried out in the past
instead of much valuable time being
wasted
This attack of the German U-boats
upon our coast brings home to us di-
r"ctlr the peril of our shipping and the
utmost need for an inland waterway
along our coast line" said Congressman
Moore in addressing the House.
Il called attention in this House last
week to rumors of German submarines
lowering somewhere in the Caribbean
Sea and moving up the Atlantic coast,
and said then it was possible we would
hear from them before long. I am not
here to say told you so. but am here
in love and devotion 20 my country to
speak in behalf of what believe is
necessary to properly prepare to meet
such situations as We now face"
Mr. Moore who as president of the
Atlantic DeeDer Waterways Association
mas ttt|l al dIutIIl NOIdlt VI tllt
construction of an inland waterway
along the Atlantic coast for many years,
brought map of the coast in the House
and pointed out the course American
shipping could take to elude the Ger
man submarines If the inland waterway
had been completed.
Moore Recalls Warning
Il have said before that a submarine
attack would not come on the Pacific, OF
| in the gulf" continued Mr.. Moore.
But it has come just where it was eX'
pected to come. Now, are we prepared
along the Atlantic coast for this foreign
| invasion?
Are we prepared to meet the enem!
on our own shores. while we are attack
| ing him abroad? ] have pleaded foi
preparation in the United States. W.
study the map of Europe every morning
In the name of God, why don't we study
the map of our own country
Here is the problem now Along tn,
Jersey coast large number of ships
were sunk between Philadelphia ant
New York Most of our shipbulding Il
congested along the Delaware River II
the vicinity of Philadelphia. The only
| way for these ships to get out is dow
the Delaware river, down Delaware ba,
and out to sea
What would the enemy do. VIII
wanted to forestall the use of thos
ships, stop our transportation and stol
the sending of supplies and troops 4
France? 1t would be to hover outs!d
| Delaware Bay and stop the ships comin
out to lie in wait and sink them
fast as they are built by the shipping
board and sink them before they cal
get to the ocean.
Il have urged time and again tina
we should cut through the inland chan
mel from the Delaware to New York an
southwark to Chesapeake Bay maxim
an outlet from Philadelphia. north
New York, or south at Norfolk.
IF this inland channel was GU
through, then ships built in the Della
ware River, or in New York, or at Nor
fcik, could pass in and out of the othe
| exit when the enemy is known to b
lowering at one end and make their dc
parture to the open.
Five Outlets to Ocean
IF that inland waterway were CON
pleted today we would have five outle'
to the ocean from every one of II
Atlantic ports and ships could go frol
navy yard to navy yard inside when II
enemy was known to be outside.
But we cannot do it now because "
have failed to appropriate a few millio
dollars to cut out a few places to col
meet up the natural inland streams a
up and down cur coast.
Il appeal to this Congress to de-
, wisely with this problem. We are seE'
. ing billions of dollars and millions I
t men abroad all the money we can raj!
I Is going into shipbuilding now to he
cur forces on the other side. And y
we stand today TO rise or fall by Il
facilities we give our ships to come ar
go.