OCEAN MAIL SERVICE.

sn the Atlantic coast south of Cape Charles, regard being had in the
selection of such ports of call to geographical location and to the
volume of the export and import business of the ports so selected.”
This is a guaranty that the producing and exporting interests of our
Southern States shall have direct communication of their own with
the great markets of South America. They now have practically
pone.

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THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA.

The bill contains a new and special provision for mail lines to the
[sthmus of Panama. The time for the completion of the Panama
Canal approaches. Already the Spanish law of 1909 provides a
compensation of $1.90 a mile for steamships of 13 knots from Barcelona
 to the west coast of South America and to San Francisco through
the canal when completed. The bill pending in the Italian Parliment
 provides similar compensation for similar services in anticipation
 of the changes in trade routes to be effected by the opening of
the canal. The committee believes that the United States should
not be behind these nations in preparing for the effects upon navigasion
 which will ensue from the vast expenditures our own country
is making on the Isthmus; indeed, there is every reason, both sentimental
 and patriotic, why we should be ahead of all the other nations
in this respect. The bill accordingly proposes payment of not to exceed
 $2.30 for 14-knot American steamships and not to exceed $4.60
for 16-knot steamships. As the act of 1891 requires that mail routes
shall be equitably distributed among Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf
orts, the committee assumes that a Ime to the Isthmus would soon
be established from a Gulf port, and would thus prepare the way for
the large increase in commerce of the Gulf ports to follow from the
spening of the canal.
In making special provision for a mail route to the Isthmus of
Panama the committee has sought to provide in advance for changes
in the world’s trade routes which will follow the opening of the Panama
 Canal. So far as international mails are concerned considerable
change is already imminent. The Andes have been pierced and on
the anniversary of Argentine independence, May 25, it is believed that
trains will begin to cover the 950 miles across South America from
Valparaiso on the Pacific to Buenos Aires on the Atlantic (River
Plate) in thirty-six hours. The British Pacific Steam Navigation
Company, which for sixty years has received a subsidy from England
for carrying mails to Chile and the west coast through the Straits of
Magellan, has already decided to spend $3,500,000 on fast steamers to
carry the British mails to Buenos Aires, there to connect with the
Trans-Andine Railway for Chile and Peru. Chile and Peru are preparing
 to subsidize faster mail steamers of their own to carry part of
their mails to the Isthmus and part to Valparaiso to connect with the
Trans-Andine Railroad. Spain's subsidy law of 1909 provides in
advance for a Spanish steamship line through the canal nl finished
to the west coast of South and North America. Similar provision is
puiseapiued in the subsidy bill being prepared by the ltalian ministry.
 Japan has already secured Mexican cooperation for the
Japanese subsidized line of 1910 to Mexico and South America.
The committee has felt that the United States, which is building
the canal, ought not to be the last nation to provide for its use by
our own ships and for the benefit of our own trade.