THE FIRST TRIP THROUGH THE CANAL
On August 18, 1914, the steamship Ancon made the first regular, continuous trip, with a complete cargo, through the canal, the steamer Cristobel making an experimental journey a few days previously.
The Ancon, with Colonel Goethals on the bridge, left Colon on scheduled time, passed through the locks and within ten hours entered the waters of the Pacific at Panama. And twenty-four hours after a small fleet of ships of commerce made the passage of the canal, the opening of which the world is now celebrating on the Pacific Coast.
The commendable spirit displayed by America in the opening of the canal is an indication of what may be expected in the future as far as the United States is concerned in perfecting equitable plans for international co-operation.
The New York World puts it clearly in these words: "Today the canal lies open to all the nations of the world upon equal terms. The United States has acted with entire good faith, and in the observance of its treaties discriminated against none and reserved no exclusive rights to itself. Beyond the collection of tolls, which are uniform to ships of all flags, it has assumed none of the privileges of national ownership at the expense of friends and rivals in trade. It has achieved a moral triumph no less impressive than the material victory won by its engineers over nature in the piercing of the isthmus."
THE ANCON
Sail through, Ancon, most prophetic ship
Hastening from the heavy sobbing of blood-stained seas.
For thou art more than keel and hull,
Than armor bearer and a man freighted deck
Thou shoulds't be the Mayflower of the coming democracy of the world.
* * * * *
Looking through the vista
Of this earth-rent canal—a telescope,
Mirroring a city in the western skys—
Clearer, clearer, clearer, becomes the vision
Of the alluring ideal halloed by a glowing sun.
Nearer, nearer, nearer doest thou sail,
Until now behold thou doest glide
Out onto the Pacific, secure in peaceful freedom.
Until the eastern war clouds being dispelled,
On, on, on thou canst sail into the haven of the essential republic of the world.