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Show Panama ol Chief Advantageto Ameiica ' The American flag In th eco.it t coiibt trade will continue to fl.i.it - curely and proudly a 1 njnu long nn the historic lunstwlse la remains unchanged. A year ago, In August, 1911, an effort to uproit it was overwhe'mliig'y defeated Li Washington Those In this country and abroad who urged tho rcie.il In slsted that when tho Canal was opened open-ed not enough Amerlcnn ships would bo forthcoming, even for the const-wise const-wise commerce, and that foreign ships would have to bo employed That this wna nn error Is now doni onstrnted by experience. American ships In coast to coast Undo have proved to bo numerous nnd adequate Freight rates from coast to coast havo been substantially reduced; a great new commerce Is developing Throughout this nbnorraal year of war. American ship owners of the Atlantic Paclllc fleet could havo en rlched themselves by abandoning the proper services nnd chartering all their ships at unexampled rates to carry foodstuffs and munitions to Europe Hut they havo not done this; thoy hnvo occasionally employed employ-ed thus only a few sparo vessels; ov-cry ov-cry ono of the chief services has been steadily maintained. Theso shipowners shipown-ers havo honorably recognized that . their first duty was to their own flag and to their own countrymen. Tho vvnr has disrupted many and disturbed all of the accustomed routes of ocean commerce, but It has undoubtedly un-doubtedly shaken least of all the now i Panama carrying between tho two coasts of the United States. Tho Panama Canal In its first year has benefited most of nil tho commerco nnd the shipping of tho people whose wealth nnd resolution havo created It. From, Tho First Year at Panama, by Wlnthrop L. Marvin, in tho American Am-erican Review of Reviews for September. |