i9o8 EDITORIAL 9 



to the Gulf, and Pittsburg to Lake this to a permanent body which, with 



Erie, by water, lift one into the realm the minimum of interruptions from 



of large conceptions. Yet the first swings of the political pendulum, may 



was advocated by Washington, the pursue, year by year and decade by 



second by Madison, and the third by decade, a constructive policy whose 



Calhoun; hence, at the dawn of the fruits will endure as the pyramids 



twentieth century, they should not be have endured and will unceasingly 



regarded as novel. bless the Nation and the race. 



With these proposals go others ; the Elsewhere will be found a detailed 

 union of Toledo with Cincinnati by a account of the National River and 

 deep waterway, of Toledo with Chi- Harbors Congress Convention, which 

 cago by means of a barge canal, of assembled in Washington December 

 Chicago with New York by way of 4th, 5th, and 6th, last. In this con- 

 the Great Lakes, the Erie Canal and nection, attention may be called to the 

 the Hudson, and even of New York great size and representative charac- 

 with Puget Sound. The connection ter of the body, and to the breadth of 

 of the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennes- its platform, which stands **not for a 

 see Rivers with the Coosa, Ocmulgee project but for a policy." In view of 

 and Altamaha, thus uniting the Ohio- the fact that inland waters, in the opin- 

 Mississippi systems with our South- ion of some, have been deemed ob- 

 eastern coast waters by Mobile and jects of jealousy or even of hostility 

 Brunswick, respectively, and a contin- by railways, it is noteworthy that two 

 uous inland waterways route from eminent railway presidents, James J. 

 Boston to Beaufort, and beyond, are Hill, of the Great Northern, and W. 

 other of the projects. W. Finley, of the Southern, appeared 

 Our attention is called to our eigh- before the Convention and, in careful- 

 teen thousand miles of navigable in- ly prepared papers, strongly urged the 

 land waterways, to the presence of fullest development of this means of 

 deep water upon three of the four transportation. President Hill again 

 sides of our country, and to the migh- called attention to the fact that the 

 ty Mississippi almost bisecting her growth of commerce has far outrun 

 from North to South, thus opening up the growth of railway facilities, and 

 possibilities which led Napoleon, a that inland waterways are absolutely 

 century ago, to declare that the nation indispensable to the handling of the 

 which controlled the Mississippi traffic of the country, 

 would become the mightiest on the The intimate connection between in- 

 globe. land waterways and forests was clear- 

 Men are already dreaming of a time ly pointed out, former Gov. George E. 

 when the waters of a country may be Pardee, of California, showing that 

 controlled much as are the waters of "rivers and harbors begin in the moun- 

 a city ; and when, instead of being tains," and Ambassador Jusserand de- 

 forces of wrath and destruction, they daring that "if the Mississippi is 'the 

 will have been transformed into the father of waters,' the forest is the 

 obedient and potent servants of man. father of the Mississippi." 

 They are recognizing that, to attain Substantial encouragement was ex- 

 an end so great, statesmanship must tended to the program of the Conven- 

 rise above the level of service to mere tion by Congressman Burton, Chair- 

 local interests, must fix its gaze earn- man of the Rivers and Harbors Com- 

 estly upon the physical map of the en- mittee of the House, and by President 

 tire United States, and must realize Roosevelt. 



that the inland waterways problem is The financial end of a policy like this 

 primarily a National problem. Fol- is, necessarily, of fundamental import- 

 lowing this, they must devise a com- ance. The Convention asked for 

 prehensive scheme of waterways de- $500,000,000 for river and harbor im- 

 velopment and improvement and must provement. This they would have 

 largely intrust the administration of appropriated by the National Con- 



