The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-17
WASTING MONEY IN PANAMA..

| The Abuses Which Obliged Commandment
Richter to Quit the Canal Company.
i PANAMA, July 5.-Commandant Richter late
superior agent Of the canal company, left the
Isthmus some months ago. abruptly. 1t trans
pired that he found that there had been some
Misrepresentation about the amount of work
actually done on the Isthmus toward cutting the
canal He at once reported the matter to Paris,
and as the management there failed to make
matters clear, he at once informed them by cable
that he would not stay. They requested him to
stay. He refused to do so, and sailed for Paris.
He had been in Paris fully month before he
saw any officer of the canal company. Charles
de Lesseps, as the representative of the com
pany, asked him under what conditions he would
return to the Isthmus. The commandant re-
piled by saying that under no conditions would
he have anything to do with the company
| NJ de Lesseps added: You have not handed
in your resignation" Commandant Richter in
formed him that he did not consider it neces-
sary, and tersely remarked II ceased to have
| any thing to do with you when left the 18th
mus. I" The citizens Of Panama deeply regretted
/ the departure of M. Richter who is a thoroughly
upright and honorable gentleman. He tried
! faithfully to prevent the waste of money, but
the Misrepresentation of the amount of work
done was something that he could not overlook.
| Following his departure Mr.. Dingler tried to
break up ring on the Atlantic side It was a
vast undertaking, and when about accomplished;
| he went to France leave of absence. The
management in the head Office in Panama tries
to do the best he can to check such abuses but
where there are nearly eight hundred officials it
is difficult matter. Only a small number Of.
them are suspected
The Star and Herald says: eThe news in the
| articles that we take from LIE Matin is news in
4 deed to us, who have lived here for many years,
| and who know how little has been done toward
cutting the canal 1t gives an interview be-
tween Sir Hugh Low and Count de Lesseps, in
| which the latter says that the canal willb open
| in 1883.
Admiral Shufeldt. of the American navy, is
| here now. He has been spending some days in
Colon and along the railway and canals. He
| will make a full report on the Panama canal for
4 the United States government, it is said. At no
4 time in the history of the canal has such uni
! versal attention been given it by American and
British naval officers, and by American and
| English engineers.
| An ex-canal officer is suing the director gen
| eral of the canal company in Paris. The suit
promises much of interest about the badly man
| aged ditch.
The following in to-day's Star and Herald is
| creating great stir
'sThe application recently made by Secretary
| Frelinghuysen for considerable sum of money
to serve as secret service fund has excited the
! attention of the American press to a consider
! able extent. The application may be new in the
| United States Congress- but it is not SO in the
4 legislative bodies Of other countries. The uses
to which such fund can be devoted are easily
/ perceivable, but American papers have seen in
| the affair an attempt to revive the Nicaraguan
/ canal scheme, and to obtain for the United
! States government the concession which Mica
| ragua gave General Barlow, General Grant and
others for the construction of the canal There
is little reason to suppose that the United States
| government desires the concession in question,
as it has but short time longer to run before
Nvlrk ord fha
| would not be a satisfactory one for the American
! government, however it might have suited the
| original owners. The clause providing
that the canal shall be kept open for the com
be favored more than another, and that all shall
| join in guarantee of the neutrality Of such
waterway, is the chief objection American
statesmen would make to such a scheme
American pretensions are to the entire con-
troll of any canal on the American isthmus;
whether that at Nicaragua, which would be built
by American and English capital, or the canal
now in course of construction at Panama, by
French capital This claim is not an empty one,
and will undoubtedly be pressed to settlement
in the event Of the opening of either canal to the
commerce of the world The possibility of the con-
struction of any canal during the next two or
three generations is SO slight that the question of
the control of such highway might well be all
lowed to await its solution in the future If the
purpose of the American government embraces
the building of an American canal at Nicaragua,
authority could scarcely be raised. as the canal
would be American prorerty, there would be no
necessity or wisdom in obtaining the present
concession, and its purchase would be bad bar
gain, for no concession would justify the govern
ment in assuming the responsibility of canal
work which did not give the exclusive control
to the United States, And there is no doubt, so
anxious are the people Of Nicaragua to see the
work begun, that such concession would be
gladly granted, and the purchase Of an existing
franchise would be entirely unnecessary.
There is a growing conviction in the minds
of many people that no private company can
ever be able to carry out either Of the proposed
American canal schemes to successful compile
ton. And that conviction is deepened by the
experiences Of the company now at work here
where it is evident that the cost Of the work will
probably reach ten times the sixty millions of
capital subscribed by the present company The
possibility Of obtaining sufficient money from
private sources is small, and if the work now in
progress receives no governmental aid, it will
still be scarcely under way when the funds viii
be exhausted
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