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Show THE TIlE PANAMA PANAIUA CANALOn CANAL On August 15 , 1914 , , the Panama Canal Voas Ras Voasopened Rasopened wasopened opened , but during dunng its Jts early years traffICas traffic was \\as as Ras \ nOli nos nosgreat nOligreat noigreat great , owing 0\\1ng 0 1ng \ to land slides which closed the Ule channe channel channelfrom channek-from channek from .from from . - time to tlmea time tlme timeand , -a a - -and and s.td std - . 1d also because of the reduced reducedmovement reducedmovement reducedmovement movement of ' shipping 'Shipping due to the war . The canal was not declared officially offlclay ] opened un- un until until un until - til 1920 , , since , which- which whlclr whichtime hich - time timo about 80,000 80000 , , commelcial commercial commelcialtonpaying commercialtollpaying commeicialtoll-paying commeicialtoll paying ton-paying ton paying toll-paying toll - vessels haVe\pgssed haVe pgssed have ha ve\ ve vepassed \ \ passed pissed through it Jt , paVIng paVIngtos pavingtolls pavingtolls tos tolls ] exceeding exceedmg $300,000 300000 $300,000000 300000000 $ , 000 In addition addltion , , many Ameri Amerl- Amerl Ameri- American Amerlean American - otIlerl otIlerlgovernment vessels haveused haeused have ha\e ha e \ can ean canwarships . ' -warships warships v.arshlps varshlps 'aarships aarships - and other othen government used the canal ; anal toll-free toll free - Up to 1935 expenditures expendltures in building buildmg and Improving improv Improv- ImprovJDg improving - ing JDg ' theanal the \ : canal \anal anal had reached 504 million mllhon dollars dolJars , the 1n- 1n In- In 1nterest Interest in interest - terest on which WhlCh at 3 per cent is more than 16 mllilon million mllilondollars milliondollars milliondollars dollars a 3 sear searContrary ear car earContrary carContrary Contrary to the general belief behef , the Panama PanamaCanal PanamaCanal PanamaCanal Canal has not 110t been a pa pacing pa\ing pa ing \ ing proposition proposltion for tho the thoUmted theUnited thoUnited Umted United States government goernment go\ go \ ernment , when its im investment cstment in 111 the theproject theproject theproject the de- de defiCIt deficit de deficit - project is 15 considered Dming Dwing Dining several years ears ficit exceeded four million milllon dollars a :1 1 : } year ear The only onlyvcayi onlyWa'v onlyWav vcayi \ 'aJ aJ ' ' ] ; in which the canal can be considered consldered an asset assetto assetto assetto to the federal goveinment govemment government is by taking tAk1ng into 111to arcount account arcountits accountIts accountits its supposed suppoced ; \ value alue to the national natlOnal defenseWhether defenseWhether defense Whether the canal could be defended against agllnst : I a : Ifirstclass afirstclass afirst-class afirst class first-class first class - power in time of Vo war ar Is one of the county country b 5 & bImportant 5important &important important Important military mrhtary problems This problem did not notarise notarise notarise arise during dunng dunilg the Wbild WOlld World War , as the Central iPoweis iPO\\elS iPO elS Potters Pottershad iPOelShad iPoweishad \ \ had no fleet in eithci elthel either the Atlantic or Pacific Paclfic afterthe afterthe after the United Umted States jyitered entered the struggle |