THE INTEROCEANIC CANAL 313 



are those which connect these countries with each other and 

 with those regions of the earth less highly developed industri- 

 ally. Inasmuch as the land masses of the earth lie mainly in 

 the northern hemisphere, and, indeed, very largely north of the 

 Tropic of Cancer, the primary routes of commerce are those 

 which follow the parallels of latitude proceeding from the North 

 Atlantic as a center east and west to reach developing regions 

 in America, Asia, and the Orient generally. The routes of traffic 

 of secondary but increasing importance run with the lines of 

 longitude connecting the lands of the north temperate zone with 

 the tropical regions and the countries which occupy the rela- 

 tively restricted land areas of the south temperate belt. 



The Isthmus of Suez, just north of the Tropic of Cancer, and 

 the Isthmus of Panama, a short distance south of that line, were 

 the only barriers which nature placed across an otherwise con- 

 tinuous water route around the earth in the northern hemi- 

 sphere. These barriers diverted the lines which the world's 

 largest volume of traffic tends to follow far to the south around 

 Africa and South America, or did so until 1879, when Europe 

 overcame the barrier of most consequence to her by the construc- 

 tion of the Suez Canal. Since the opening of that waterway Eu- 

 rope has enjoyed trade advantages far superior to those enjoyed 

 by our country. Our regions most highly developed industrially 

 are tributary to the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. To the east 

 of us lies Europe, a region of great industrial advancement, de- 

 manding little more than our surplus food products and raw 

 materials ; to the south are the countries of the South Atlantic 

 lying along the line of the world's secondary commercial routes ; 

 countries, moreover, whose trade we can secure only in direct 

 competition with Europe, which has already forestalled us at 

 many points. In pushing their trade westward the industrial 

 states of the United States — and they are found in the eastern 

 half of our country — find that the possibilities of a traffic by 

 land are restricted within narrow bounds by the heavy costs of 

 a long haul over the elevated Cordilleran Mountain ranges, while 

 shipments by water have to take the circuitous and expensive 

 route around South America, Until an isthmian canal is con- 

 structed the United States will be very seriously handicapped 

 in its competition with Europe for the trade of all countries bor- 

 dering the Pacific ocean. 



Such being the general relation which the canal will bear to 

 the commercial development of the eastern half of the United 



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