THE EUROPEAN CANAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6572, 9 December 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE EUROPEAN CANAL.

T«k object of the European Canal, says the London Post, istuunitetheNorthSeawith the Mediterranean by a navigable and maritime cinal, accessible to the largest trading vessels, and which will unite the seas of China and Australia with the Atlantic and the Gulf of Finland. The project is not a modern one, for the Romans, ami before them the Celts, had foreseen the great advantage to be derived from the junction of the seas of Gaul by nicaus of its rivers. The scheme was grand, but it was necessary to study and furnish the means of putting it into i-xecu-tion. In 137S Prince ii. de Beam, formerly a staff olfiuer, published at Dentee a brochure treating of the project of a canal between Marseilles and Dunkerqiie, passing by Paris, Lyons and others of the richest towns of France. This project, largely planned as much from an agricultural as an industrial point of view, had the advantage of opening a direct and sure road to the vessels proceeding from Knglaml and the commercial ports of tht: North, which could thus cross the Continent and avoid the dangerous passage round Spain by the Straits of Gibraltar in in order to reach thy Kast. Ae the canal would realise, at the lowest, between the North Sea and thi: Mediterranean, a saving of a distance of '2,000 kilometers, it would be found that the maritime commerce of Europe would benefit by about 175,000,000f. On the 10th of June last M. Duclerc (Senator) presented to the President of the French Republic a iirst project, treating of a maritime canal running from the ocean to the Mediterranean. A commission appointed to examine this first project decided upon the urgency ot studying it. M. Duclere's project is simply a plagiarism of the Prince de Beam's vast conception, because if it favours the southern and south-western departments of France it would injure the greatest interests ot richer departments. If the, project of a canal which is to cost millions be put in question, one may ask why that of Bordeaux to Narbouue (project of M. Duelere) should alone have this privilege. In fact, if M. Duelere's project avoids,"like that of M. de Beam, the passage of the Straits of Gibraltar, it does not avoid the li:iy of Biscay and its rough tempests, so dreaded by seamen. Trading vessels will certainly never face this terrible gulf to get at a .-ana"! that will never be anything but an adjunct to Riqiiet's C.mal. Leaving aside the possibility of the execution of this canal, which ought to result in making l'aris a seaport, we must study the question in a technical point of

view. M. de Beam's project is conceived in an exclusively Ficncli spirit. This vast conception ought to supplant all questions of local interest, for it makes Paris a great seaport of transit from east to west, and why should this project be impracticable, and why should they bu unaMe to execute this canal, which would be supplied by the three largest rivers of France—the Seine, the Loire and the Rhone? Indeed, it would be a chain of mountains to cross, but could there not be ton ml on the higher point different torrents, the waters of which would be easily used for the supply of the canal ? Besides, M. de Beam gives us the solution of the problem in a memoir which appeared two years ago. A glance at the map of France will sutlice to show the superiority of M. de Beam's work and the advantage to be derived from a canal, tin; place of departure being Dunkerque, and passing by St. Omer, St. Paul, Doullens, Amiens, Clermont. Paris, Melun, Auxrrre, Avallon, Chalon-sur-Saone, Macon. Villefranche, Trevon, Lyons, Yiemia, St. Yalliers, Laix, Valence, Muiitelimart, Avignon, Taraseo:i, Aries, Beaueaire, and arriving at iem/th at Marseilles, crossing countries favoured by numerous and abundant watercourses. Let us turn to the other side of the same map and follow the course of the canal projectc 1 by M. Duclerc and judge for ourselves. Let us compare the wealth of the departments crossed by the respective lines of both canals. But these questions, though of great interest, can only he of secondary censiderition. The predominant question is to make Paris a seaport, which would result from thu adoption of M. de Beam's project. There is another question which removes all doubt on the subject. Since the disaster of itwO Parish.™ become a border town. What advantage would there not be in the case of an invasion in Paris being in communication with the. Mediterranean and the ocean '.' The French navy, the value of wliicn was paralyzed in the last war, would be in a condition to supply the great city with provisions. Paris a seaport, Paris aided, supported and supplied by the navy is invincible. Paris invincible makes France always triumphant.