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Show I FRANCE AND THE PANAMA CANAL ' New York, Jan. 12 Claude Casl-mir-Perier, son of a former president ;'of France, who has been In this coun-Ji.lry coun-Ji.lry for three months, will leave New f York in a few days to visit the principal prin-cipal ports of the United States. He ,t has been commissioned to make In- vestigatlons to determine what ef-1 ef-1 feet the opening of the Panama ca-Lj ca-Lj nal will produce In regard to the i i trade of France. j i AI. Caslmir Perier will visit Galvos- ton, New Orleans Mobllo, San Diego, I San Pedro, San Francisco, Tacomn, j Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, pie ca- nal zone and the West Indies. i "Whether Franco can operate Of through tho canal will depend, of 4. course, n the canal lolls and the cost rocoal," he said, n "If there is a canal charge, of say I $1 a ton, I believe that a good share Aof the foreign trade will be driven away. I think it is of the utmost Im-Iportance Im-Iportance that this question of tolls be ,F settled at once. The opening' of the !, canal means u development of trade t and the steamship lines cannqt bhild vessels to meet this condition until they know the canal charges and so Ji can figure on tho cost of operation." |