New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-01
PRICE -FOUR CENTS.
THE PANAMA CANAL.
OPINIONS ON Two CONTINENTS.

| UlS DcltoFeu III washington IHlC Tie DtRlu~
ming of work on the Panama Canal will create
such opposition IN America that the bill in
cooperating the Nicaragua Canal Company will
| be passed by Congress wthHut delay. Captain
Phelps, one Of the incorporators of the pro-
posed company, states at length the dangers.
to American commerce to which, in his opin-
ion. an interoceanic canal, controlled by
foreign nation, would give rise. A corresponds.
ent of THE TRIBUNE in Paris narrates the
methods by which the Panama stock was.
placed upon the market in Europe and the
views of the scheme which are entertained
there.
AMERICAN COMMERCE IN DANGER.
WHY TnE DE LEssEPs sCHEMg SHOULD BE OPP
PosED-A Talk WITH CAPTAIN PHELPs-LKssoNs
FROM THE PAST.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRTBUSEl
WASHINGTON, Dec. 31.-The announcement In O
cable dispatch from Paris tnat the frst detachment
of engineers ard workmen for the Panama canal
will leave France OH the 9TH prox. is received in
Washington with expressions of satisfaction bv
friends of the Nicaragua Canal enterprise. Captain
Phelps said to-day: :" think the first blow struck
on the canal the first spadeful of earth upturned,
will cause Americans TO realize as never before the
dangers which Turk in the scheme of De Lesseps
and his friends and will spur Congress up to take
prompt and effective measures TO thwart this at
tempt to bring portion of the American continent
under the political domination Of foreign power"
1he attention Of Captain Phelps then called to
paragraph In The Washington Post of to-day, part
of which is as follows:
revival Of the Interoseanic Canal question is an
ticpated Immediately after the holidays The De Lss-
seps party will exercise all their ingenuity 20 prevent
Congress from granting charter TO the Ncaraguan
C0mpany. The French party propose 10 appeal 10 tue
9d 81 ttes kgnIs tneOries Oh .ns pary an
canal company They argue that 1t ~ In opposition to
Congress charters to individuals business
corporations; that, ~ the case OF the Paclnc and
needs OF the Government and people were
to private capital The case OF an Interoceanc Caua
they rests upon entirely different foundation.
eituer TO the Government or TO the people, as were
| the Pacific roads
willing to build the canal which Is TO % outside ,he
domain OF tue United staes without any sid rom tne
Government Of the United states OF Colombia, through
The goodwill Of the United States is desired and
pected matter Of course, because this country de-
be peace, and the promoters OF the Panama
Canal have no idea OF committing any uDfriendy act.
| Captain Phelps after reading this paragraph. re-
marked: That treaty with Colombia would be
brushed away soon enough if the Panama Canal
were completed under French auspieies and it
should become an object with France to have the
| treaty abrogated. In Csc of war between France
and the United States the canal would be seized by
| rench authority and held. French heetS would be
passed through it to prcy upon our coasts aud CONF
merce and American fleets. in order to keep ocean
/ communication between the Atlantic and Pacnc
States open and to protect our commerce, would be
! compelled to use the long and dangerous route
| around Cape Horn.
| "People who say that the United States have no
especial interest in controlling such canal do not
know what they are talking about" continued Cap
| tam Phelps. Foreigners controlling o canal at
! Panama would be able 10 seize large part OF the
American coastwise commerce by the throat and
compel that trade to submit to whatever extortion-
ate demands they might choose to exact in the form
of tolls and special charges l car relate an Incl
| den. which fell under my own observation, and
that has bearing on this subject. Twenty-Five years
| ago the Government of Chill offered subsidy to
any company which would establish and maintain
regular line of steamers between Valparaiso and
Rio Janelro and Europe through the Straits Of
Magellan The Pacific Steam Navigating Company.
which already had lines of steamers engaged
in the South American carrying trade sent one OF ITS
officers to the directors OF the Panama Railroad
with instructions TO say that If the railroad would
reduce the charges for transfer at the Ishmus the
steamship company would not enter into the pro-
posed competition by the Magellan route; other.
wise it wOud feel compelled to do 50. The railroad
company refused to make any terms aud the Eng
lish steamship company established, and has ever
since maintained. line by the Magellan route Its
steamers carry cargoes from Liverpool to Rio jane
lro thence through the Straits of Magellan and mp
the Pacific Coast of South America to Valparaiso and
Callao Their arc distributed from those ports
by smaller coastng steamers which ply northward
and southwark from the pOris mentioned The
trade is very large now, and Is yearly ncreas-
ing When one of the steamers reaches Callao, she
il distant 5000 miles from the STRAITS of Magellan
and is at the same time only 5000 miles from Liv-
erpool by the Panama route. That fast shows how
q great trade may be driven from its natural chan
mel Dy the exactions of corporation such as the
Panama Canal would certainly become at once
under the control of Foreigners"
What do you think of ex.Secretary Thompsons
sta tcments that In accepting position in De Les
seps's company he acted chiefly from motives Of
business, and that if he had seen anything in 10
to the interests of the United States he
would not have engaged in itp asked the corre-
spondent.
well. / think his explanation OF his motives 10
good enough, but have little respect for bis
knowledge Of the subject for his Judgment IL he
has discovered nothing in the scheme which
is ipimical to the interests of the United
States" was the reply. "Mr. Thompson taIkG
in o largo way about two canals and trunk
railroad to connect them with tho United States,
aud he says that a great deal Of money will how
into the United States in payment for the food,
tools. etc., expended in the construction OF tho
Panama Canal 1 really wonder il be has ever
tasen tho trouble to compute the amount OF trade
that would be required 10 interest on the cost OF
constructing one canal According to tho estimate
of De Lesseps himself. published by him IN England,
the Panama Canal will cost 1884 100000 Topay 9
ner cent On this amount the net earnings Of the canal
woud be required to exceed $32, 900 900 year. OF