SUEZ CANAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2388, 18 February 1915, Page 7

SUEZ CANAL

ITS NEUTRALITY DISREGARDED

WHERE DOES RESPONSIBILITY REST? In ISSS a convention was signed by all the Great Powers of Europe, including Great Britain, Franco, Germany, and Turkey, neutralising tho Suoz Canal zone and prohibiting hostilities within its limits or at tho ports at either entraaiee. To-day this zone has been invaded by a ragged Turkish army, led bv Gorman officers, and tho attack lias been repelled by a British force. Hero is another instance of tho subservience by Germany of its pledged word to "military necessity," and even "military necessity" lias to bo interpreted so widely as to embrace tho doing of anything calculated to bring advantage to tho belligerent ooncerned. Tho public law of nations is a« nought— solemn, compacts arc as mere waste paper—if they stand in the way of military progress. History of the Canal. In ordor to appreciate the position, of this great international waterway, it is essential to know something of: its complicated history. The Suez Canal had its origin in circumstances that have no historical parallel. It was conceived by M. Ferdinand de Lesscps, who, with thc_ aid of French capital, got concessions in 185-1 from Said Pasha, and lator from his successor, tho Khedive Ismail. The company -that obtained the concessions was registered in Paris with a capital of 400,000 shares of £20 each, of wliich 176.602 were subscribed by Said Pasha and his successor. After numerous sonndings in the Gulf of Pelusium, tho port 011 which tho town of Port Said now stands, was chosen as the northern entrance, and the first sod was turned by 51- de Lesscps on the sea front of the Qnai Eugenie on April 25, 1859. and tho Canal was opened for traffic on Novomber 17, 1869. It is thus owned by a French company, tho largest shareholder being the British Government, who acquired the Khedive's shares, and now nets £500,000 a year by way"of dividends_ thereon. It passes through Egyptian territory, Egypt being a suzerain of Turkey, but actually occupied by Great Britain.

The Ignored Convention. In 1882, while British operations were being earriod on in Egypt, the canal was occupied, and traffic was suspended. This did not suit foreign Powers, who then began to roaliso the strength of Britain's strategic position if it was allowed to control tho canal. So three years later a commission was appointed to draw' up a convention or international agreement for tho establishment of the freo navigation through the canal of the vessels of all nations. After much debate, a scheme was devised, and was ultimately signed- by the representatives of Great Britain, Germany. France, Austria, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands,. and Turkey, and was ratified at Constantinople in' December, 1888. The agreement was called the Suez Canal Convention, and it provides:— 1. The canal is open to tho vessels of all countries at all times, whether in peace or war, aud is never to be blockaded.

[ 2. No permanent fortifications are to be erected in the canal. 3. No acts of hostility are to take place within the limits of the canal or m the ports at either entrance or within three miles from them. 4. War vossels owned by a belligerent shall not be at liberty whilst using tho canal to embark or disembark troops or to revictual or take in stores or to stay in the canal or its ports for more than 24 hotars,' save in case of necessity; and the same provision is to apply to prizes. 5. In ease vessels belonging to different belligerents" are found in the canal or ports of access at the same time, then 24 hours must elapse between , the departure of any'aine vessel belonging to one belligerent and that of any vessel belonging to the other. 6. No men-o'-war . shall be stationed inside the canal, though eaoh Power not being a belligerent may station ,two men-o'-war at Port Said and Suez.

, Tie Egyptian Government is charged with the duty of taking 1 the steps necessary to ' carry out these provisions with an appeal to Turkey, and through Turkey to the Signatory Powers. Dimensions of Canal. The canal is 161 kilometres (87 seamiles, or 100 statute miles) long. The navigable dimensions are now practically twice what thoy were in 1869, the superficial area having been increased from about 380 to 690 square yards in the ordinary channel to 880 square yards in • the numerous ' gares or . cross-, ing places, the dredging having been so carried out as to exceed the limits originally 'decided upon. ' From 1869 tp 1875 tho Canal retained its depth of 26ft. 3in., and-its bottom width of 72ft., throughout its length. Tho gares were 6} miles apart, each gare being about 1100 yards long.- From 1875 to 1884 tho first improvements were ! made in straightening and widening the curves. During 1877-88 the Canal was deepened by 20in., and the bottom width Teduced to 59ft. This extra depth allowed the transit of vessels with a draught up to 25ft. 7in. From 1888 to 1895 the bottom width was increased to 108 ft. The result was a- diminution in the time of transit, which Had already been shortr ened by the use of electric light. Ships could -then pass one another at any point in the straight reaches in the Canal, instead of at the. gares-.only. In 1898, owing to tho increased dimensions of ships, larger gares- were begun, some twenty in number, at an interval of three miles, each gare • having an effective length of 820 yards, with approaches of 328 yards at either side. , At the same -time the depth of the channel was increased to At present a draught of 28ft. is allowed. The work of deepening the Canal is steadily proceeding from El Ferdan to Suez; the bottom width has been increased.to. 128 ft. Tho curves are also being improved' ,and a gare has been made on the small Bitter Lake. ' „

Nationality of Traffic. The Egyptian Government has published a return showing the traffic, according to. nationalities, during 1913. The-statistics concerning the commerce of Great Britain and her chief competitors are given thereunder: — No. Canal Pa6'ng'rs. Flag. Vessels. Tonnage, carried. 1. British ... 2951 12,172,817 139,512 2. German .. 778 3,364,585' 31,791 3. Dutch .... 342 1,290,736 18,362 4. French ... 256 931,128 36,923 5. Ausfcro-llun-crarian ... 246 849,168 7,461 6. Russian . 110 341,941 .12,098 Tl., including all other • flags .... 5085 20,214,856, 289,631 In that year the number of vessels flying the British flag declined by 387, while the number of those flying the German flag increased by 82. Similarly there was a decrease of 963,486 Canal tons in the caso of Great Britain, while there was an increase of 334,774 tons I in the ease of Germany.