Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-25
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

In its. issue of August g. 1879, The
. Star has the following editorial COM
De Lesseps Canal t men' p 70 mede De De
c:4A: LeSseps Canal:
OiCuatioh' The De LesSeps
Darien Canal scheme seems to have
completely collapsed, and it may be,
we suppose. regarded as practicaily
abandoned unless the arrival OF the
talented and energetic little French
man In America should give the move.
ment a fresh boom. Just what caused
its ouietus is a little hard to tell: The
i, failure to get stock taken must have
been, however, due to distrust OF the
particular project proposed by M de
Lesseps rather than to want OF conn
dence in a ship canal between the Az
lantic and Pacific oceans as general
proposition. There might have oeen,
and doubtless was. an appre nenSion
that the path chosen was not 1easl-
BILE one, but there are many reasons
for believing that canal opened on
wisely selected route between the two
seas, under proper sanction and au-
thority and with due regard to economy.
would become almost at once an entire
financial success as well as an instru.
ment Of great service to the commercial
world.
unreasonable one is abundantly shown
by the history of the Suez Canal. IN
spite of all the drawbacks and difncul-
ties attending the construction OF That
work, and Notwithstanding its very great
cost, it is now profitable enterprise
and bids fair to become more so every
year. From the time Of its opening up to
the latest period of which any statistics
have been furnished there has been.
with the exception Of single season
only, q steady and considerable increase
in both the number and tonnage OF
vessels passing through the canal, ana
its clear revenues as well. Its net an
nual receipts now represent prof1t OF
upward Of 5 per cent on the capital OF
the company, and 1t is confidentially
claimed that the future will show
still larger profit than the figure named.
This expectation does not seem TO DE
unfounded when it is remembered that
a larger number of vessels yet go around
the Cape Of Good Hope than pass
through the canal each year, and that
any increase from this source must rep
resent almost net revenue, since the
expenses of maintaining the work will
be little If any greater with an enhanced
business than they are now. And aside
from the earnings Of the canal itself,
the land acquired by the company, to-
gether with those reclaimed under its
charter, are very valuable and must in
time become a source of great wealth.
Curiously enough, too. while the annual
receipts from the canal traffic rise far
above the sum estimated Tor the first
few years Of its existence, the cost OF
keeping 1t IN repair has so far fallen
considerably below the amount which
was originally estimated to be necessary
for that purpose.
In view OF these facts, and consider
ing also the fact that at times the
shares in the Suez Canal sold down to
almost nothing, 1t is not strange that
many well informed persons believe that
waterway separating the two great
continents Of the Western Hemisphere
would become not only q useful but
highly profitable enterprise. On the
other hand, it will be strange If the
requisite capital and energy do not
come forward to begin the work at an
early day and carry 1t to completion
as speedily as possible. E,e