The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-09-29
KEEL CANAL TO
Be OPEN TO ALL
important Case Under Consider
alton by World Court.
HELPED TO WORLD POSITION

One Of the most significant indexes
to the changes that the World wa
| brought Is seen in the Kiel canal cas-,
under consideration by the world cour
| at The Hague. Under clauses OF tn,
| treaty Of Versailles the action wal
| brought to keep the waterway oper
to all ships Of nations with which
Germany is at peace even when the,
carry war materials
A bulletin just issued from the
Washington headquarters of the Ma
tional Geographic society deals with
this canal which in effect more than
doubled the strength Of the German
navy, and which prewar Germany man.
aged as she chose.
Canal Helped to World Position.
''It was really by removing the mud
and stones from the bed of the Kiel
canal-or the Kaiser Wilhelm kanal,
to give it its rightful name-that the
German empire dug its way into it's
cherished welt politik and appeared
as great world power" says the bull
letin. Prussia had the vision of this
most important waterway before the
late empire or anything that could be
considered a modern German political
entity existed. Prussia did not own
square foot of territory on the North
sea. The Baltic was her only outlet
She had no navy; and Denmark stood
across her path, a real naval power.
On the North sea were the Grand
Duchy of Oldenburg, the Kingdom of
Hanover and some smaller principali-
ties.
1.-THE first step toward the future
canal was taken in 1852 when Prussia
purchased from Oldenburg an area of
marshland on the North sea near the
mouth of the Weser. On this low,
muddy site soon rose the made-to-or-
der city of Wilhelmshaven which was
to become the second greatest German
war-harbor and the greatest German
naval base on the North sea. The
jealousies of the preempire days are
well shown by the refusal of Hanover
to permit the building of a railway to
the site, which necessitated the slow
transportation of all materials by
water aronnd Denmark.
1.-THE land through which to con-
struct the canal and its Baltic base,
Kiel, came to Prussia In 1864 by con-
quest, as result Of the Prussian-Dan-
ish war. Two years later, Hanover,
which had refused cooperation, was
defeated by arms and Incorporated
into Prussia. But the canal was not
built then nor even after the German
empire was established in 1871 for
the big navy idea had hardly been
born
SLOWLY the idea of naval competi-
ton with Great Britain grew; and 1t
was probably with pretty clear idea
Of what a North sea-Baltic canal
would mean In the naval life of Ger
many that the modern German en-
pire's first ruler, Kaiser Wilhelm 1,
officiated at the breaking of ground In
1887. The next year Wilhelm II came
to the throne, and before long was not
only pushing the canal to completion
but was feverishly building up the
navy, in the service of which the wa
terway was to find its chief function.
Multiplied Navy by TWO
''When the emperor formally opened |
the Kiel canal in 1895 he practically |
multiplied his navy by two. From |
the heavily fortified great naval base
and shipbuilding center art Kiel-the |
solar plexus of the German navy
lighting ships could slip quietly in |
few hours through German territory |
to the North sea, for the German
equivalent of fight or a frolic' The
sland of Helgoland, too, had been ac-
Iuired from Great Britain in 1890 and |
vas heavily fortified, forming the
treat blight into which the canal the |
Neser, and the Elbe opened and on
which Wilhelmshaven was situated,
nto huge German naval preserve.
"The Kiel canal and the German
lavy went hand in hand before the
World war, mutually dependent on
me another. The dimensions of the
hannel were ample for warships Of
he pre-Dreadnaught type, but when
treat Britain began building battle
hips of too great size to traverse the
waterway and Germany considered 1t
Imperative TO follow with equally pow
rful vessels, there was nothing to do,
{ the navy was to remain efficiently
noble, but to widen and deepen the
anal This was undertaken in 1908
nd by 1912 the width had been In
reased from So feet to 40 feet at the
ottom. Ten feet was added to the
epth, making 1t 46 feet II
"Her huge, improved canal was the
eystone Of Germany's naval strategy
uring the World war. Shielded by
she could secretly shift
er naval strength as she wished,
leeting Russia in the Baltic so long
8 that was desirable, or concentrating
re great weight of her floating bat
cries In the North sea when protec-
on or offense against Great Britain
as necessary.
"Kiel, at the Baltic end of the 60
lifelong canal, has a commodious,