New York is now divided from San Francisco by 13,135 miles of sea travel.  The Canal will reduce this distance by 7,873 miles, and will bring New York 6,250 miles nearer Callao and 3,747 miles nearer Valparaiso.  The Pacific Ocean includes so large an extent of the curvature of the earth that the effect of the Canal in developing trade routes with Asia will depend very greatly upon their direction across it.  Vessels from New York which, after passing the Canal, trend northward or southward upon the great circle, will find that the Panama route will be much shorter than that via Suez; they will save 3,281 miles on the distance to Yokohama and 2,822 miles on the distance to Melbourne.  But if their course lies along the equator the Panama Canal will not curtail their journey very materially.  It is surprising to find that Manila will be only forty-one miles nearer New York via Panama than it is via Suez, and the saving on a journey to Hong Kong will be no more than 245 miles.  In trading with Peru, Chile, Australia, North China, and Japan, the merchants of New York will gain very materially by the opening of the Canal.  They will gain, moreover, by the withdrawal of the advantage which English merchants now enjoy in trading with New Zealand, Australia, North China, and Japan via the Suez Canal.  At present London is nearer to these places than New York is by 1,000 miles or more.  The Canal will not only withdraw this advantage:  it will give New York a positive advantage in distance of 2,000 to 3,000 miles.  It is more than doubtful, however, whether the Canal would ever have been constructed in the sole interests of commerce.  Its chief value to the United States is strategical; it will mobilize their fleet and enable them to concentrate it upon either their eastern or their western coastline.  The Canal will primarily be an instrument against war; but, like much else in this world, it will incidentally bestow multifarious advantages.  The importance of fortifying it is manifest.  It would appear that the locks at either end are open to naval bombardment; indeed, those at Gatun are clearly visible from the sea.  Fortifications are being constructed at both entrances, and it is probable that the Canal Zone will be garrisoned by a force of 25,000 men.  World enterprises involve world responsibilities.

CHRONOLOGY OF UNIVERSAL HISTORY

EMBRACING THE PERIOD COVERED IN THIS VOLUME A.D. 1910-1914

DANIEL EDWIN WHEELER

Events treated at length are here indicated in large type; the numerals following give volume and page.

Separate chronologies of the various nations, and of the careers of famous persons, will be found in the Index Volume.

1910.  The United States established an annual meeting of State Governors as a new machinery of government.  See “THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF GOVERNORS,” XXI, 1.