Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-10-12

PACIFIC WILL SOON
0UTSTR|P ATLANTIC
British Student of Affairs Saws
Western Ocean Will Lead
in Commerce.
sHoRTENs TRADE ROUTES
Population of Countries Facing
Worlds Greatest Body of
Water Is 100000.
sHoRTENs TRADE ROUTES
ny SIR cYpn1AN A. G. BRIDGE.

bl SIX CfPUIAN a. G. BRIDGE.
LONDON, Oct. live should do
well to devote attention to the condi-
ttons in the vast Pacific area and the
called It's basin.
About dozen years ago ] called at
tthhn zen 10 me important addition :hat
would make to the naval bower Of The
United States. This was contrasted
with the relative naval insisnihcance
OF the kicl Canal.
The virtual increase Of the Ameri-
can navy was due to natural causes.
20 the course OF natural development
and was not and need not be thought
an indication Of aggressive designs Il
is quite likcly-indecd IL is almost GER
d tain,Athat when the American people
not one in 100000 of them ever thought
OF naval power at all.
shortens Trade Routes.
What they had in view was the ex-
panslon OF ea-borne commerce, and
especially reinforcement OF land lines
OF communications. crossing the North
A fie continent by sea routes
SUCH reduction OF time and mileage
OF voyages as would render sea trans
port capable Of competing in the mat
The world moved on while the
Panama Canal was being made. Az
regards traffic between Atlantic ports,
and Pacific ports, the canal is going
10 fulfill. II 1t is not already fulfllinE
.e,5pectations: but all the traffic that
other canals IL made can combine with
IL 70 acconmodate-will be mere
.rickIe compared with the immense
anu terminate in the seaports OF the
Pacific Ocean.
soiidt,diss good thing to take note OF
tSn pe., When examining problems OF
AL ha
meant knowledge; and that is Just
%hat we want-anyhow. to start with
have their say. 1t is possible that they
VIII nave 1t without waiting until We
ton.
No one would willingly say word
IN atsparaseme OF philosophers: but
H.. WI DC generally admitted that, IL
often coming in after the hunt. When
ne practical man has done the job
did it. :. 'ha' ne
Commercial Gravity Center,
Let any one who is interested look at
he poin, at eae ms ssssR hHd ae m1ss
OF longitude west from Greenwich cuts
the 10th parallel of north latitude. He
VIII be getting somewhere. near the
spot Whica promises 10 be before many
generations have apsscd away. perhaps
1--WE ouiy ono mas passed away, the
commercial center of gravity OF the
WORLDS dozen years ago thought il
justifiabie TO designate it,
~ we take nalf the population OF
countries like the United States. Mex
leo and Canada. which have both an
Atlantic and Pacific Coast. and the
whole of the population OF Germany.
France and Spain, which have coasts on
inland seas rs we'll as upon the ocean.
we shall fnd that whereas the Atlantis
Is bordered north and south BY coun
tries inha b!ted by about 5000. 900 Of
people, the Pacific Ocean-popuIation
being haived where necessary for
proper comaprison-is bordered BY
countries with more tlan 100000. 600.
These huge masses OF people face an
ocean which as it were, invites them
to use 1t for lines OF communication.
Among them are included some of the
most enterprising and some OF tho
most astuteiy commercial of mankind
What is more-the resources of the
countries in which they dwell have NOT
been nearly SO thoroughly developed
as nave the resources of the countries
which border on the Atlantic Ocean.
The increase of intercourse between
the two sides of the Pacific Ocean.
which some people now living are like
" to see, will be such that the whole
trade OF the Atlantic, watch will itself
go on increasing, will appear small
in comparison with it.
1t may be some excuse for the deep
interest which / take in the question
OF the Pacific that many years of nv
life was spent on that ocean. and tina
! am personally acquainted with it
from Sitka to Tasmania and from
KamchatEa tn Tierya dol ly,ora