130 DOCUxnl Ar HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA CANAL

to one-half more tonnage every year than is now carried by the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal now handles from eighteen to twenty million tons per year
and pays to the Federal Government some $14,00,000 to $18&0O)000 a year in
tolls alone. It carried during the peak years from 128 to 1980 about 30,00000
tons a year. This canal, when constructed across the State of Florida, accord-
ing to conservative estimates, will carry from forty-two to sixty million tons of
commerce annually.
 Mr. Co. What did the engineers say with respect to whether or not this
 canal has any military value?
 Mr. GOa. It does have a military value. We all hope that wars may be
 outlawed forever, but according to the action in the other body recently on the
 World Court, It seems as if America must in the future, as she has in the past,
 provide always for adequate defense of our American Nation and our American
 people. I favor adequate national defense. One of the best methods to more
 adequately provide for our national defense will be the construction of this canal
 acrom the State of Florida. It will give the United States an unparalleled
 advantage and absolute supremacy in all of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of
 Meico. It will make quite impossible our attack by enemy from the south or
 by south Atlantic. It will make secure our position. During these times, when
 practically every nation of the world is in debt to America and defaulting and
 refusing to pay, America can very prudently look more to its national defense.
 I know of no project more important to our national defense and security than
 this ship canal
 STOr HASARD IMSBND
 With the opening of this canal practically all hazards of storm around the
 Florida Peninsula will be eliminated. This great benefit alone will almost
 justify construction.
 Mr. Coumm. Will the gentleman yield?
 Mr. Gm. I yield to the gentleman from California, a member of the Rivers
and Harbors Committee.
 Mr. Corams. May I ask the gentleman whether he means this canal would save
S86,00,000 annually in transportation costs?
 Mr. GOa. Yes; annually to the consumers, shippers, and producers of Amer-
ica. It is a huge amount, I may say to the gentleman from California.
 In 4 years the American people will realize back in transportation-cost savings
the full cost of construction of this great project. The American people are
developing their natural resources and conserving them. We owe to the Ameri-
can people every possible advantage to be derived from reduced transportation
costs
 Mr. CAs~ zow. Will the gentleman yield?
 Mr. Gam=. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia.
 Mr. CA&swow. I would like to know if the gentleman has any Information
as to how many bales of cotton are shipped annually from the Gulf ports, say
from Galveston, New Orleans, Mobile, and other Gulf ports, to Europe which
would naturally go around the south part of Florida and across the Atlantic
Ocean?
 Mr. Gum. I have not the actual figures. However, New Orleans is the great-
est cotton-shipping port in the world. You gentlemen know the high percentage
of American cotton that Is shipped abroad. You may get some idea of that
from this map prepared by Mr. Henry Buckman, one of the most eminent eng-
neers in America. He has prepared this map, and it shows here the ships as
they were stationed in 1962 on the day and hour this map was made. From
that an estimate was made of the ships which would pass through this canal
annually, which is one ship every 42 minutes, day and night, throughout the
year, over 40,000,000 tons per year.
 Mr. CArrrow. Will the gentleman supply information as to how much
freight would be saved on a bale of cotton from New Orleans to Liverpool via
the route through the canal as suggested?
 Mr. Gmr. I shall be glad to put that detail in the Record.
 Mr. CAmTn. Will the gentleman yield?
 Mr. Gams. I yield to the gentleman from California, a member of the Rivers
and Harbors Committee.
 Mr. Canu s I presume from the gentleman's remarks that this will be a
canal through which tolls will be charged?
 Mr. Gazz. I rather think it will not be a toll canaL I think It will be a
straight river and harbors project of the Army engineers for the benefit of