The Suez Canal: Gateway To World Trade (1962)

[Music] a German merchantman westbound to Boston with a cargo of coffee from Kenya an Italian liner with a thousand passengers from Venice sailing Eastward for Australia an American tanker Laden with oil bound from the Persian Gulf to a Refinery near London ships from every seafaring nation in the world over 18,000 a year passed through this land of Egypt through perhaps the most important 100 miles of water in the world the Suz canal [Applause] cutting through the desert sands of the ismos of Suz the canal separates the continent of Asia on one side from Africa on the other connecting the Mediterranean with the Red Sea the Suz canal and aables ships to sail directly from Europe to the far east oil from Iraq Iran and kuwaite on the Persian Gulf is the important commodity to flow through the canal were it not for Suz ships would have to make a long and expensive 12,000 M Journey around Africa tankers in a steady flow carry 2/3 of the oil which Europe needs from the rich fields of the Middle East Suz is virtually Europe's Lifeline to the oil without which the economy would collapse besides oil ships carry such raw materials from the East as tin from the mines of Malaya rubber from the plantations of Southeast Asia wool from the great sheep stations of Australia T from the hills of Uganda in East Africa from the factories of Europe to the countries of the East flow the manufactured goods which can be produced only by a modern industrial nation Automobiles and parts from the assembly lines of Britain textils from England and France manufactured goods of every kind made in Europe are shipped via Suez to the countries of the East should this Waterway be closed the result might well be disastrous to the economy of the Western World the history of the canal dates back to the time of the Pharaohs of Egypt who 3,000 years earlier built the first water link between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea but it was suitable only for small ships and In Time the desert sands filled it in in the 17th and 18th centuries European Merchant fleets began to open up trade with India and China and establish colonies in the East but the journey round the southern tip of Africa was not only long and expensive but dangerous as well the need for a shorter safer route became more and more urgent as trade with the East increased a canal through the ismos of Suz was the answer Napoleon bonapart made the first attempt to build a canal he failed as many of the best Engineers of the time said he would after many attempts it remained for Ferdinand deeps a Visionary energetic and courageous Frenchman to succeed with the help of Muhammad SED the vicroy of Egypt theps formed the Suz Canal company and in 1859 construction began for 10 long heartbreaking years DPS fought sand and wind and people who said it could not be done but in 1869 the Waters of the Red Sea and the Mediterranean were at last joined with one of the most magnificent ceremonies in history the canal became a reality and for nearly a hundred years the French company which dilps founded operated it now the canal is under the control of the Egyptian government every ship must have an experience Su as pilot aboard perhaps one like Captain metwali an Egyptian the Raz of povi enters the canal at Port tufic in the course of its 12-hour Journey the Raya palvi will pass through The Bitter Lake and Lake timsa formed by natural depressions in the land at the Mediterranean end is the largest city on the canal port side in contrast to the Panama Canal there are no locks to negotiate on the Suz Captain matwali well knows the potential dangers of the 100 mile Journey which lies ahead a sudden wind might blow the ship dangerously near the banks or a sandstorm obliterate everything from sight most to be feared is a failure of the steering mechanism which is subjected to Great strain maneuvering in these shallow Waters at one time arid desert was the only landscape visible but today much of the land on the African side is green with cultivated fields of beans and wheat made possible by irrigation the Suz Canal is essentially a ditch dug through Desert Sands as the Sands were a problem when the canal was built so are they still today for when the propeller of a large ship turns it turns the water into powerful whirlpools that contort and destroy the bottom of the canal and drag sand from under the banks filling the main Channel dredges work day and night in the endless battle against the sand sucking it out of the canal and throwing it back over the desert for the entire length of the canal the banks are built of stone and constant repair and reconstruction are necessary there is also the work of deepening and widening to allow larger ships to pass through the stopping distance of a ship may be as much as 2 miles so its pass message is plotted in the canal Authority headquarters at ismia should a ship break down warning must be sent immediately to all others to avoid risk of collision and tugs dispatched to tow the crippled vessel clear of the canal when the Raz of poivy reaches The Bitter Lake she passes a convoy of ships lying at anchor waiting to proceed in the opposite direction for as yet it is not possible for ships to pass one another in the canal during the passage work goes on as usual for the crew after 12 hours the journey is over and the ship lies at anchor in port s ready to break out into the Mediterranean for the canal Authority the respons responsibility of keeping this vital shipping Lane open is great and involves much work behind the scenes in Research Laboratories Engineers study problems relating to Canal construction they search for ways and means to make improvements and speed the transit of the ever increasing volume of shipping there's a repair yard which can handle emergency repairs on the largest ships using the canal the canal Authority has its own Fleet of over 400 vessels ranging from launches and tugs to dredges floating cranes and a huge floating dock for centuries the world depended upon the bedin of the desert for transportation between East and West though bin still cross the burning wastes of the ismos of Suz progress has passed them by and in their place the world has come to rely on this great Waterway the Suz Canal the vital link between East and West the gateway to World Trade w