Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-10-19
Pacific Will Soon Surpass the
Atlantic In Commerce, Says
Admiral of British Navy
Building of Panama Canal Was Considered Only as
Means to Increase Shipping, Not to Establish
Naval Prowess Growth of American Navy from
Natural Causes.

and especially reinforcement of land
lines of communications, crossing
the North American continent by
sea routes shortened through the
adoption of a maritime canal, SO
that there might be such a reduc-
ton of time and mileage of voJ-
ages as would render sea transport
capable of competing in the matter
of cost with transportation by land.
The world moved on while the
Panama canal was being made. AS
regards traffic between Atlantic
ports. in either the old or the new
world, and Pacific ports, the canal
| is going to fulfill, if it is not already
fulfilling, expectations; but all the
traffic that it can accommodations
even that other canals if made can
combine with it to accommodate
will be mere trickle compared with
the immense maritime activity
which will originate and terminate in
the s.aports of the Pacific ocean.
Science in Pacific.
It is a good thing to take note Of
science when examining problems
of the Pacific. At one time the
word meant knowledge; and that is
just what we want-anyhow; to
start with. When we have got hold
Of the necessary facts we can let the
philosophers have their way. 1t is
possible that they will have it with
out waiting until we have finished
the fact-collection operation.
No one would willingly say word
in disparagement of philosophers;
but it will be generally admitted
that. if they have a fault, it is that
of too often coming in after the
hunt. When the practical man has
done the job they will explain how
it was that he did it.
Commercial Gravity Center.
Let anyone who is interested look
at chart of the Pacific ocean, and
mark the point at which the 10th
degree Of longitude west from
Greenwich cuts the 10th parallel of
north latitude. He will be getting
somewhere near the spot which
promises to be before many gener-
atoms have passed away, perhaps
before only one has passed away,
the commercial center of gravity of
the world-as, dozen years ago, I
thought it justifiable to designate it.
If we take half the population of
countries like the United States,
Mexico and Canada-which have
both an Atlantic and Pacific coast
and the whole of the populations
Of Germany, France and Spain,
which have coasts on inland seas as
we'll as upon the ocean, we shall
find that whereas the Atlantic is
bordered north and south by coun-
tries inhabited by about 325,000000
/ of people, the Pacific ocean-popu-
lations being halved where neces-
sary for proper comparisons Dor
dered by countries with more than
$50, 600, 900.
Connects Huge Masses.
These huge masses of people face
an ocean which, as it were, invites
them to use in for lines Of COMMUNE
cation. Among them are included
some of the most enterprising and
some Of the most astutely CONNER
cial Of mankind. What is more =
the resources Of the countries in
which they dwell have not been
nearly so thoroughly developed as
have the resources of the countries
which border on the Atlantic ocean
The increase of intercourse be.
tween the two sides of the Pacific
ocean, which some people now liv.
ing are likely to see, will be such
that the whole trade of the Allan.
tic-which will itself go on increas.
ing-will appear small in compari.
son with it.
1t may be some excuse for the
deep interest which | take in the
question of the Pacific that many
years of my life were spent in thai
ocean, and that / am personally &C.
quainted with it from Sitka to Tas
mania and from Kamehatka to Ii
Terra del Fuego