The opportunities of a port for commerce obviously depend in a great measure upon the centrality of its position with reference to the other ports of the world. Let us see how Liverpool and New York were originally situated in this respect, and how far their situations are altered first by the opening of the Suez route and secondly by that of Panama; remembering also that the changes introduced by the canals have about the same effect on Antwerp or Hamburg as on Liverpool. Prior to the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 the route to Asia and Australia was _viâ_ the Cape of Good Hope from both Liverpool and New York. This gave Liverpool an advantage of 480 miles for all Asiatic and Australian ports as well as for the East Coast of Africa. For most of South America and all the Pacific coast of the Americas the route was _viâ_ Pernambuco, and New York had an advantage of 370 miles. Suez being open but Panama still closed, the route to Asia is _viâ_ Gibraltar for both Liverpool and New York. New York is distant 3,207 miles and Liverpool 1,283 from that place, so that Liverpool has an advantage of 1,924 miles instead of 480 on the voyage to all Asiatic ports, a competitive benefit of 1,444 miles resulting from the opening of the Suez Canal. The voyage to Australia from New York being still made _viâ_ the Cape of Good Hope, while that from Liverpool is most shortly made by Suez, Liverpool is 1,622 miles nearer by the canal and 480 by the Cape, thus obtaining a benefit of 1,142 miles when the Suez route is taken. The opening of the Panama route leaves unchanged the relative distances to the Atlantic coast of South America, to Africa, and to Asiatic ports south of Shanghai; but it is New York and not Liverpool which is now the nearer port to Yokohama, Sydney, and Melbourne; and Wellington, New Zealand, formerly nearly equidistant, is placed 2,739 miles nearer to New York than to Liverpool. With reference to Northern China, however, it is to be noted that, although the Panama route shortens the distance between New York and Shanghai by 1,629 miles, Liverpool will still be the nearer to Shanghai by 295 miles, assuming the New York vessel to call at San Francisco. [Illustration: COMMISSION'S HOTEL AT ANCON.] [Illustration: ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, ANCON.] These facts are illustrated by the figures given on the next page. Nearer to New York than to Liverpool by {New York _viâ_ Panama, } { San Francisco and by } { Great Circle 9,835} Yokohama {Liverpool _viâ_ Suez, Aden, } 1,805 miles. { Colombo, Singapore, } { Hong Kong and } { Shanghai 11,640}