PANAMA CANAL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 18, 21 June 1913, Page 10

PANAMA CANAL

CONTROL OF THE PACIFIC. A BOLD SUGGESTION. San Francisco, May 11. American newspapers and publicists are beginning to come to a more or less definite realisation of tbe momentous possibilities and consequences that the opening of the Panama Canal will bring in its train. In this connection a recent book that is being widely discussed is "Problems of the Pacific," by Frank Fox, foreign editor of the London Morning Post. The work is packed with concrete references to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, as well as Asia and the United States and other shores washed by the waters of the Pacific. If Mr. Fox's conclusions are well founded, the Pacific Ocean will be the theatre of a struggle between the white- and yellow races for world supremacy unless the British and American nations combine to control the vast sea. One other possible contingency he sees, and that is the British Empire and United States playing mutually antagonistic parts on the Pacific Ocean. In such an event he seems to be of the opinion that the United States would eventually prevcail, overthrowing the combined forces of Britain and her colonies. The thesis of the ■ book, however, is that the two Englishspeaking nations should combine and co-, operate to control the Pacific to their common advantage. The impending completion of the Panama Canal makes the question one of imminent interest, and an international conference in which Great Britain, her colonies and the United States should be represented is suggested by Mr. Fox. He says:—"A friendly informal conference between Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, ushering in the opening of the Panama Canal, would provide an opportunity for beginning the frank discussion that is needed." Another sentence from the book, showing its author's viewpoint, is: "The friendly co-operation between the United ' States and Great Britain would give to the Anglo-Saxon race the mastery of the world's greatest ocean, laying forever the fear of the yellow peril, securing for the world that its greatest readjustment of the balance of power shall be effected in peace: but rivalry between these two kindred nations may cause the gravest evils and possibly irreparable disasters." GERMANY AS A FACTOR. The book and its suggestions have been discussed with considerable sympathy by the American Press. There is one factor which Mr. Fox has left out, however, to the surprise of some editors, and that factor is Germany. The New | York Times, speaking of the proposed j conference between the United States. j Great Britain, Canada, Australia and I New Zealanu, remarks: I "Imagine the ell'eet of such a conference in Wilhchnstrasse, and it is easy to see why the author has ignored Germany, with her large populations in j Brazil, Argentine and Chili, with her magnificent steamers building for the trans-Panama business, and her reconstruction of. the harbors of her Pacific j Islands. Mr. Fox's book is an able demonstration of the reasons why Great Britain and the United States should unite in dominating the Pacilic —if we will admit tbe possibility of the yellow peril and llritisii antagonism to American ambitions, contingencies more visionary than real- but underlying it all is Hie studied aspiration that the English-, speaking peoples may come to an under- i standing before the United States fully realises Germany's status, and thus produce a moral and deterrent ell'ect upon her. Nobody doubts that should even the rumor of an Anglo-American entente transpire it would have a salutary ell'ect. on Germany's European policy and bring a return of pride and confidence to Mr. l\;x\s countrymen. It is for this devoutly-desired consummation that he has probably written 'Problems of the Pacific.' It is a subtle, patriotic achievement." A "LONE HAND." Referring to Mr. Fox's prediction that should the United States resolve to play a "lone hand," the Pacific Ocean will then "become an American lake, probably after a terrible struggle in which the pretensions of the yellow race will be shattered, possibly after another fratricidal struggle in which British possessions iu the Pacilic, Australia and New Zealand equally with Canada, will be forced to obedience," the Literary Digest comments: — "One wonders whether the wildest American imperialist dreams ever equalised those of Mr. Fox iu trying to think American thoughts before Americans think them." At tlie present moment, if Americans are contemplating the possibility of war on the Pacific it is with Japan, and certainly not in the remotest way with Great' Britain. Meanwhile, the event upon which Mr. Fox bases his theories, the opening' of the Panama Canal, is closely approaching actuality. Some time this year, it is confidently predicted by those building the waterway, a vessel will pass from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean through the Panama cut. It will be the greater part of a year thereafter before the Canal will be thrown open t othe commerce of the world. The controversy between the Governments of this country and Great Britain as to whether or not America is entitled to remit the payment of tolls in the case of American ships plying through the Canal between domestic ports has not been so actively prosecuted since President Wilson and his Administration assumed ollice. There is a widespread belief, seemingly well-founded, that the dispute is close to settlement, and that President Wilson has intimated to the British Government his agreement with the British side of the controversy. A newspaper despatch from Washington says of the President's position in,the matter: "While President Wilson has never expressed himself publicly on the question of the Panama Canal tolls, he has informally indicated to his friends that he believes in an interpretation of the treaty which would make it improper for the United States to exempt its vessels in the coastwise trallie from paying tolls. He is also understood to take the position, that the exemption as now proposed is in ell'ect a subsidy, and he has always been opposed to subsidies. The report from England that the President had intimated to Ambassador Bryce that the settlement of the question would be favorable to Great Britain is credited generally in ollicial circles, because it is thought that Mr. Wilson's personal friendship for the retiring ambassador would account for their intimate conversations on this point just before Mr. Brycc's departure, although Mr. Wilson has been urged not to give formal expression to his views until the tariff is disposed of in the present session of Congress."