The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-11-15
A WATERWAY TO KEY WEST

Extension OF the inland waterway TO
Key West, sought and battled for ever since
inland waterways began. had two more
powerful allies this week.
Both the National Rivers and Harbors
Congress, meeting for the second time in
history outside of Washington, and the At
lantic Deeper Waterways Association had
taken time out in their Miami conventions to
recommend deepening the waterway from
jacksonville south, and extending it from
Bahia Honda to this city.
For the little group of men who have
striven for waterway to this city from the
north. approval of the two organizations
meant another important victory. but it was
still long way to the final victory of seeing
the waterway actually in existence.
Engineers and divisions of government
repeatedly in the past have approved, then
turned down the waterway extension. At
times the project has had strong support, at
ether times it has been almost forgotten,
both among the powers-that-be and by the
general public in Key West.
= But men who could see It's value have
been continuing the struggle, and at the
present time they feel their chances are ire
mendousIy improved Approval of the two
big waterway powers is welcome lift.
For purposes of comparison, hackers
of the waterway might almost have reason
to be pleased that the administration again
has brought forward its plan for cross
Florida barge Tor ship canal
The cross-state canal. according to
preliminary estimates. would cost S2o,-
600, 900. Should it be deepened for ships,
it would cost 5000. 900, 900, in addition to
S., 000, 900 which already has been spent
on the abandoned excavation near
Ocala.
The waterway from Bahia Honda
would cost fraction of that amount.
In the matter of usefulness, the pur-
pose to which the cross-state canal would
be put still is a mystery after some 10 years
of discussion During the depression. it at
least had the value of putting thousands of
idle men to work as ditch-diggers, but that
isn't an objective now
The waterway, on the other hand. has
very definite place IN defense, aside from
the advantages it would have for Key West.
I've are ruling the obvious advantages to
Key West out of this discussion. because
cities near the canal would have justified
retort that the canal would aid them.)
Both the navy and the army have
stake in the waterway to Key West, and
their interests, in turn, are real part of the
interest of the entire nation.
With the waterway in action, tons of
heavy material now brought laboriously
over the highway could be brought here in
safety via barges. Operators of the barges
repeatedly have stressed the need for an
inside route to avoid the necessity for the
dangerous outside passage esa
s. The navy department and the general
population of the United States have in
vested millions of dollars in Key West.
They have built a powerful bastion here
for the defense of the Caribbean Sea and
the Panama Canal
And to supply that bastion there is
now one narrow road, one frail chain of
bridges. The waterway would furnish
another, and virtually indestructible, route
of supply
We think the choice between the wa
terway and the Florida canal is obvious