DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA CANAL 417

 Forr GosGE ISLAND, FLA., May 22, 1936.
S PI.AL BOABD or ENoIRnEU,
 Gulf-Atlantic Ship Canal, Camp Rooseelt, Ocala, Fla.
 GENTLEMEN: I see by the press that your board has been appointed to re-
view the reports of the Atlantic-Gulf ship canal.
 As a retired rear admiral, United States Navy, and one who was, during a
part of his service, hydrographer of the Navy, Washington, D. C., who, since
retirement, has lived near the route approved for the Florida ship canal, and
who has naturally, therefore, considered this project in its relation to the
national defense, I wish to point out for the consideration of your board the
benefits to the national defense as I view them.
 Due to the fact that foreign possessions lie to the south and southeast of
 Florida, it would be most advantageous for the United States to be able to
 make the Gulf of Mexico as nearly as possible a closed sea during a war by
 mining the Straits of Florida and protecting the Yucatan Pass between Cuba
 and Central America.
 With the above protection and with the Florida ship canal in existence,
 supply vessels and other vessels moving from the North Atlantic seaboard to
 the Panama Canal and to the west coast of the United States would then
 have a better protected passage from the eastern entrance of the Florida Canal
 to the Panama CanaL Likewise, supply vessels and other vessels moving out
 of the ports of the Gulf of Mexico would be better protected until' their arrival
 at the eastern entrance of the Florida Canal, and at no time would they be
 as much subjected to possible submarine or other attacks than they might be
 by using the narrow Straits of Florida.
 It is clear to me that under certain conditions that might arise in a war
 in which the United States was involved that the peacetime route from north-
 east United States ports to the Panama Canal, 1,974 miles, would be abandoned
 to a great extent in favor of the Florida ship-canal route.
 Also, inasmuch as the completion of the Florida ship canal will provide a
 vital link in the inland waterway system from Boston to Mexico, this inside
 protected route will, no doubt, be used to great advantage in time of war in
 the movement of supplies and materials, and will thus relieve the freight con-
 gestion which was so much in evidence on the northern trunk-line railroads
 during the World War.
 In regard to the possible objections of steamship companies that the Florida
 ship canal is a needless expense and that vessels will not use it when com-
 pleted, attention is invited to the fact that similar objections were raised
 when the Panama Canal was under discussion at congressional hearings. How
 badly they were misled in their prognostication it is idle to discuss.
 I submit herewith a chart to substantiate my views, from which, I think,
 clear deductions can be made.
 Yours very truly,
 F. B. BAesarr,
 Rearl Admral, UnUied States Navy (Retired).


 DOCUMENT NO. 140 (FILES OF SENATOR LOFTIN), MAY 27, 1936

 CorMMNICATION FROM FRANK M. TRAYNOR TO SENATOR LoFTIN,
 MAY 27, 1936

 Under date of May 27, 1936, Mr. Frank M. Traynor, former pres-
 ident of the Tampa Chamber of Commerce, addressed the following
 telegram to Senator Loftin:
 TAMPA, FLA., May 27, 1936.
 Hon. Scoe M. Lofrr,
 Senate Offloe Building, Washington, D. C.:
 Please accept my sincere congratulations. If the Associated Press item is
 correct, I regret exceedingly that you will not elect to endeavor to continue to
 represent Florida. I hope you will have an opportunity of voting favorably on
 the Robinson resolution, directing a new engineering study of the Florida ship
 canal I am doing everything possible in Tampa to assist in an unbiased