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452 Building the Panama Canal ---For Whom? (From the New York American.) The United States is spending' the stupendous sum of $375,000,000--which will probably be increased to $500,000,- 000--on the construction of the Panama Canal. After France failed in the task, this country took it up and is now pushing to a successful conclusion the greatest engineering feat the world has seen. The completed work will be a monument to American genius, enter- prise and pride, but as a canal it will benefit whom? Take the Suez Canal, the present plexus of the, world's sea- borne commerce. During the last recorded year, 13,633,- 283 tons of shipping passed through this canal. Of this tonnage more than 60 per cent was British, the balance being principally German and French. The United States tonnage was abso- lutely negligible. Judging from this, the Panama Canal will prove a marvelous benefit to shipping--but to whose ship- ping? The Pacific, the ocean of the future, grows in importance every day, and es- pecially in importance to this country, with its great western frontier facing the Orient. In the Pacific will be fought the battle of commerce and in the Pacific, should affairs come to a sterner contest, will be fought the great sea fight that shall decide the fate of nations. What have we done in the Pacific toward winning the battle of commerce? Nothing. The Great North- ern Steamship Co. struggles against sub- sidized competition to keep up its Seat- tle-Japan service, and that is all. In the meantime consider the Nippon Yusen Kaisha. In 1885, this Japanese company ran a small line from Kobe to Corea and Vladivostok. Now, with 79 steamships and a tonnage of 306,674, this company, in addition to its Europ- ean service, maintains a _ fortnightly service across the Pacific to Seattle, and among other Pacific enterprises operates between Japan and China, Corea, Asiatic Russia, India and Honolulu in our own Japanned Hawaiian Islands. And, in- cidently, so far back as 1894, during the Chinese-Japanese war, this company alone transported to China 120,000 soldiers and 100,000 coolies. Is there no Philippine hint in this? The opening of the Panama Canal, which we are constructing at such cost of labor and treasure, will marvelously increase and benefit shipping in the Pac- ific. Judging from the above, whose shipping? Isn't it time the United States prepared to reap some profit from its own enterprise, or is the alien, who already carries 90 per cent of our ocean commerce, to have it all? TAE MARINE REVIEW Statistics for the Year On June 30, 1910, the merchant ma- rine of the United States, including all kinds of documented shipping, com- prised 25,740 vessels of 7,508,082 gross tons. On June 30, 1909, it comprised 25,688 vessels of 7,388,755 gross tons. November, 1910 The following table shows the geog- raphical distribution, motive power, material of construction, and trade of vessels of the United States for the fiscal year 1910, in comparison with similar data for the year 1909, and also the construction for the two years. 1 COMPARISON OF MERCHANT MARINE OF 1909 AND 1910. Classification. 1909. 1910. Geographical distribution: Number. Gross tons. Number. Gross tons. Atlantic aad Gulf coastec tc). -.c0ss0cses sees: 17,203 3,500,394 16,999 3,517,132 ee Bee es 83 8,740 85 5,541 PACING} Coasts ovis ce ioe Fees cos tau es 3,378 915,359¢ 3,534 918,489 EUW AT ao csi clerk 6 SColeusca 6 Bre Wie's o/s etnieie's's 43 19,120 40 18,102 Northetn lates feo eke oye sees de eres 3,199 2,782,481 3,270 2,895,102 Western tivers, 280s vi ecu ee oe ee 1,782 162,663 1,809 153,716. Mot 8 es Pe ie Se 25,688 7,388,755 25,740 7,508,082 Power and material: Sail--Wood ...... bee rae ee op ee veuss 9580 1,465,446 8,811 1,405,692 Metal 2. 66 e sce. Weeeeas ee ee ree See 132 245,630 136 249,781 MPOtal: Soe as os esc ur sees eae oe 9,712 1,711,076 8,947 1,655,473 SiGam--"VWV 00d = io eek cues cic os eed ieee ee eer OSL OS 1,157,510 10,534 1,130,535 Metal = eee eee hace Ue cea e ee cas 1,858 3,591,714 1,918 3,769,826 MOA rs oes as cole Scie elec oe Renee 11,641 4,749,224 12,452 4,900,361 Waal WOO caus sc ooo oe ola os aie a sine oc os ole' « 745 80,951 674 74,068 Par eeS=-- VWOOd) arses es cc oc wc as cis cele sc + cece o's © 3.449 760,465 3,508 780,300 INST eee tes sate ab oo es aces sewers pes 141 87,039 159 97,880 Total csr cess ccc ec ccc cee cece ence ecs 3,590 847,504 3,667 878,180 Grand: otal © ic iso oa elec scare eis cote 25,688 7,388,755 25,740 7,508,082 'Trade--Registered: atl WiO0G ie eee cree coe tet eee ee eee see 448 185,728 354 125,303 ITC Ea ea eek Scie sae Gee vec ce eloe es 22 45,330 18 33,574 DI CGY eo ee ieee Cis We owed co Wiale e Cees O86 470 231,058 3f2 158,877 MICCAMI VVC OG ce fi ercrs's bale oo alele: weave levecsievera eves eie's « 349 71,474 354 64,364 HVE CHANG orctaisc ce oiere cohen oak is 6 seb s eles 6 avete 149 507,052 143 492,613 Mota cares eae Ss elaeleie 4 ocsro us tekeia aca siaceue 8 498 578,526 497 556,977 WAn@eS=--=VVOOU ihc eee ccc cee cee e he cee sare 644 72,277 636 70,327 Weta ie tee cc cles oc sutee occ ee hese teere te Zh 5,644 21 5,644 Total ee ce Bus ce en Cue 665 77,921 657 75,971 MOtal, FERIStGREC: (ices. cuis cee sa ele ae ei 1,633 887,505 1,526 791,825 Enrolled and licensed: ; mall----W.00d, = 3... ces bee hele scien 6 Sielalel sslere cs 9,135 1,281,064 8,457 1,280,389 BVUGEAT 7 ates oe er het occas san ee sige s Gets 107 198,954 118 26,207 : AOR oe are elec coe eh ae eee isis 9,242 1,480,018 8,575 1,496,596 GAM WOON eee ck cho ah eice scene ae © 9,431 1,084,690 10,180 1,066,171 MCT ee ele cet ee os ccs ee ene 1,712 3,086,008 1,775 3,277,213 Motal sec 3 Cel eens rs AA amen 11,143 4,170,698 11,955 4,343,384 Ca Mal Se WiOOd, 26s Se 6 agin os Sk Siciec 6% Gi kelacs oc sae 745 80,951 674 74,068 eee Wed ek. 2,804 687,924 2,872 709,973 Wietaley ee eee Oe ecccrs sielcse s sieie eae 1211 81,659 138 92,236 WO DAL aces cee tie se ec cs eee ek 6 2,925 769,583 3,010 802,209 Total enrolled and licensed.......... 24,055 6,501,250 24,214 6,716,257 Grand total .6s oss. cove c cc wee coe 25,688 7,388,755 25,740 7,508,082 Construction during the year: Geographical distribution: Atidntic and Gull Coasts <0. sec ba cs ce a's ; 582 108,904 601 150,828 FOTO RicO coe veccicsses esta ees Sareea Mes ae ' 8 85 7 135 IPACING COASt Ht oe yea ce os boils bose eidialee ees ' 276 22,759 279 16,870 Northern lakes .........-ccesecccesccesnsecees 174 100,402 281 168,751 WiGSEOEH ee TIVGlS oss cee het es eh cba hackeus 207 5,940 193 5,488 MGtal CONStrUuChON fo. ccc cs es coe occ ces 1,247 238,090 1,361 342,068 Power and material: : ee atic 182 20,965 121 "15,659 Metal i605. 5.5 c ee. Ria ae cece helees 9 7,985 6 3,699 Otel Cou eee Reales Gears Pees hea s 141 28,950 127 19,358 Steam--Wood ....... cr ec 754 25,066 842 23,005 Métal aie. ce cen ties Seles silela OO e Ss Ge os 67 123,142 94 234,988 Ota eos ee eee ae Sob eee es ee ecs 821 148,208 936 257,993 Canal--Wood ...... ges ele ee sets ce uae s 21 2,292 50 5,720 aL Se Gere VV OOM og csicceee sie eo cie sob nee sd lek vse ees 251 52,844 229 47,060 Metal oc... Be eeccccecs 13 5,796 19 11,937 ee 7 6s 58,640 248 ~~ 58,997 Total conetruction ...:.06........:.. 1,247 238,090 1,361 342,068