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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 254, 25 March 1914, Page 4

A GREAT GERMAN 1 CANAL. While the eyes of the civilised world are concentrated upon tJic great waterway across the Isthmus of Panama, which is to l>e ollicially opened next year, another great canal enterprise has been carried to a successful issue, very quietly and without beating of drums, and will probably be opened next month. This is the enlarged German canal, connecting the Baltic and the North Sea, upon which work has been proceeding for live years past, employing about SOOO workers and involving a cost of about £12,000,000. This canal, running from Kiel to the mouth of the River Elbe, was originally opened ill IS!),), having cost about £8,000,000. It at once attracted a large traffic, about 20,000 vessels using it the first year, and 57,300 in 1012, being a larger traffic, than that of the Suez Canal. This traffic lias gone on uninterrupted until the canal was being widened to -100 feet on the surface and 150 feet at the bottom, with a mean deptli of 45 feet of water over the sills of the locks. These locks are larger than those of Panama, being 1082 feet long and 147 'A feet wide, against 1000 feet and 110 feet respectively for Panama. The importance of this German canal lies ill the fact that it lias been widened and deepened solely witli a view to allow of the passage of the largest warships from sea to sea. By using its sixty miles of length, the passage from Baltic Harbour to Hambourg will be shortened by 480 miles, and the passage from the Baltic to London will be reduced bv 2!i!) miles. It will be seen lnhat the new waterway will give Germany a tremendous advantage m the matter of concentrating her naval forces at any required point. An opposing fleet must be prepared to watch harbours hundreds of miles apart, whereas the German navy eould bo rapidly concentrated at any point and be able to defeat a stronger hostile force by attacking it in detail. The canal has been constructed with an eye to future naval

developments, for while at present no warship in sight is of more than 45,000 tons, the Kiel Canal will allow the passage of vessels of 60,000 tons, From the German point of view the enlarged canal is therefore a defensive work of the highest national importance. From the British viewpoint, it is an offensive menace, giving Germany a great advantage in naval warfare. It is understood mat the Kaiser is very proud of this canal-cutting success, and that he will personally command the German battlefleet that will proceed through the inland waterway when the formal opening takes place. He is also credited with a device to have the Kiel Canal opened before that at Panama, and to emphasise the fact that the American enterprise will fall far short of the German in the matter of defence, as the largest battleship will not be able to use the Panama Canal. The Kiel Canal is heavily fortified on both sides—the locks being placed so far inland that they cannot be destroyed from the sea by the guns of a hostile fleet. If they could feel assured that the canal would be used only for peaceful commerce and for the defence of Germany against attack, the British people would hail the opening of the enlarged e,;nal with genuine pleasure. As things unfortunately are, British congratulations on the completion of the great work must be largely tempered by the thought that the canal may be used as a means of aggression, in furtherance of the ambition of some Germaris to make their country supreme in the North Sea.