THE INTEROCEANIC CANAL* 



By Emory R. Johnson, 



Assistant Professor of Transportation and Commerce in the University of 

 Pennsylvania 



The nature and scope of the influences which a canal across 

 the American isthmus will exert have not been so thoroughly 

 studied as have been the engineering and political questions 

 connected with the enterprise. Congress has established several 

 boards of engineers to survey the canal routes and to report 

 upon the technical problems and to estimate the probable cost 

 of the work; but as yet there has been no official report upon 

 the industrial and commercial effects that will follow from the 

 construction of the waterway. It is not altogether obvious what 

 economic changes will be brought about by the canal, and it 

 would seem desirable that we should understand more clearly 

 than we now do w-hy this waterway is essential, if it be so, to 

 the welfare of the American people and the American nation. 



The construction of an isthmian canal is proposed for the 

 general purpose of shortening distances between the Atlantic 

 and Pacific. The route for sailing vessels between San Fran- 

 cisco and New Orleans, the route now being by way of Cape 

 Horn, will be shortened 11,000 miles, that from San Francisco 

 to New York 10,000 miles, and to Liverpool 7,200 miles. For 

 steamers the distances saved will be about 2,000 miles less, be- 

 cause they pass through the Straits of Magellan instead of round- 

 ing the Horn, and also follow a more direct course than sailers 

 can. The canal will make Valparaiso 1,000 miles nearer to our 



*As a writer on the industrial and commercial aspects of the Isthmian Canal problem, 

 know ni" regard favorably t lie proposed construction of a waterway across the Republic 

 of Nicaragua, Professor Emory K. Johnson was invited to contribute an article on the 

 subject to this number of The National Geographic Magazine. His engagements being 

 such as entirely to preclude him from accepting the invitation, ho has, at the special 

 request of the Editor, kindly revised for this issue t lie article which he wrote a few 

 months ago for the Independent, in which the benefits which he considers likely to accrue 



to American commerce from th instruction of an Isthmian ('anal are very clearly 



and forcibly set forth. If any justification were needed for the virtual reproduction in 

 this Magazine of an article that has recently appeared in so widely-read a journal as the 

 Indepi ndent, it should be sought iii the desire of the Editor to present both sides of that 

 most important question, whether the benefit to be derived I y the United States from 

 the construction of an Isthmian ('anal would be -uch as to justify a large Congressional 

 subvention.— Ed. 



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