Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-02-15
Circulation Every 1AE0Q
Evening Yesterday l 1fOOO
Wilmington as q Shipping Port.

The weekly review of the First National
Bank of Philadelphia opens with ref
erenoe to the congestion at the port OF
New York, which has long prevailed and
which. even with the relief measures now
Ia operation, threatens TO continue to
some extent indefinitely. And 50 it
sr-aks a word for the port of Philadel
phis
The unusual facilities provided by
this port for handling supplies intended
for United States troops IN France and
for our AIlics abroad" SAYS the review
will be used TO good advantage by the
United States Shipping Board IN its
efforts to avoid the delays incident to the
congestion at New York There is every
reason why this should be done, as the
proximity Of this centre to the coal fields
and the excellent loading equipment of
our piers should give the port of Phil
sdelphIa precedence over ports less adj
vsntageously located for the quick hand
hing of export freight. The movement
under way, therefore, TO make better use
cf the facilities Of this port is of great
importance, not alone to local interests,
bot TO the whole Amedcan people, who
have so much At stake Just now IN the
development Of adeqAate shipping ia
califie. on the Atlantis seaboard With
the tracks OF great trgInk lines directly on
the docks, lighterage charges are saved
and other economies secured through the
shorter haul required on a vast amount
of freight handled through this port.
With this much to be truthfully ssid
for the port Of Phiiadelphia, how much
more could he said for the port of VIII
mngton, with its natural advantages de-
veloped 70 the fun extent, which could
be done IN 8 short time and with an out
hy OF money that would not be at all
startling
For several weeks past the port OF
Philadelphia has been seriously hampered
by an ice blockade While the winter has
heen of unusual severity, Philadelphia
~ ANNOYED during any winter of ordinary
severity by reason ol ice accWnula-
mons at the Horseshoe Bend. II cannot
evade this obstruction except during
those few exceptional winters when no
Ter Of any amount is formed. In the
severest conditions known, the port of
Wilmington Is open TO navigation to the
OCEAN al aIl times
Wilmington Is thirty miles nearer TO
the Atlantic Ocean than Philadelphia
or sixty miles for each round trip Here
IL a material saving in distance, time and
costs Of navigation.
In respect Of easy and quick com
munication with the coal fields of Penn
sylvania, Wilmington Is most favorably
situated, and with some railroad exten-
sions that could easily be provided with
out great outlay Of money, could be
brought into even closer and quicker
connection. Already the southeastern
section of our city Is traversed by branches
of three great trunk lines of railroad-the
Pennsylvania, the Reading and The Balti-
more & Ohio To increase these facili-
pes to the extent Of accommodating a
great port traffic would not be difficult
Or costly task
Therefore, everything that applies to
Philadelphia - & port Of entry and dis
charge for foreign commerce applies
with equal force and pcrtinencc to the
port of Whining on, while the latter has
the additional advantages of closer
proximity 20 the ocean, freedom from
ice blockades, and lower costs, which
cannot possibly offer.
Think what would have been the
situation this winter had the port Of Will
mngton been developed to its capacity,
or reasonable possibilities, few years
ago IL would have been valuable asset
10 the nation
Then, why longer delay the work Of
4evelopment?