New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-30
sURTEYS FOR 4 GREAT PROJECT

One of the first results OF the Pan American
Conference will he the organization OF an inter-
national railway commission at Washington
ncxt month. The commissioners Tor the
United States were appointed yesterday ana
ARRANGEMENTS will now be made Tor the
approaching conference Commissioners have
already been selected by Brazil. Venezuela
Peru. Mexico and Colombia. and 1t ~ prVbaDle
that majority of the Powers represented az
the Conference will participate i'll the prehm'
mary work of ordering survey OF the nlos'
practicable route for continental railway. Inc
Governments are not pledged to DO anything
more than to meet their proportionato share OF
the cxpenscs of making general survey. ms
will be an international work of great impor-
tonce and utility. Accurate and definite In
formation will be provided respecting the prac-
ticability, engineering difficulties and available
routes for a trunk railway connecting the coun-
tries of the two hemsphcres. This Will DO
great gain, whatever may be tho ultimate de.
csion respecting the advantages to be derived
| from work OF such magnitude.
Respecting the probability of what would
he the first section of the Three Americas
Roilway"-a line from Mexico to Panama
tral America there are now a few unfinished
lateral railways but the utility and icasibiiitv
| Of n trunk line arc conceded by foreign resi-
dents in those countries. The railway might
| be built on either side Of the Cordiliera, but
preferably on the Pacific side where he tho
main centres Of population and agriculture
such an undertaking would not offer serious
onginccrinc obstacles and has been pronounced
practicable by competent railway experts. IL
youd omen a country of vast natural resources,
and would bring into the American market the
produce Of ono of the richest cohc" belts IN inc
world. The construction OF the railway would
l,c the most practical method Of binding 20
ccbcl five jealous States into HARMONIOUS
confederation and of introducing the elements
Of pacific and industrial civilization. Whether
the international project succeeds or fails. the
extension of the Mexican railway system south
wa,d through Guatemala to Costa Rica is only
a question of time: Tie produce Of the COLE"
belts offers promise of rcmunrraivc freight
traffic which will inevitably a'trac, the att'n-
ton and command the confidence Of railway
investors
| II is not strange that Colombia and Peru,
which have 20 much 10 hope for frcm the build
| ING OF COullNHUtdI SH'"'' '"'
promptly accepted the invitations 10 The ap-
preaching Conference: but II is noteworthy
| that Brazil and Venezuela should have been
equally prompt and energetic. Tic Amazon
and the Orinoco block the passage Of the pio-
! icctod trunk line eastward, and III" W"st Ctasi
countries naturally have the largest share o.
ntcies. in the enterprise. Malacaiho Is The
only Venezuelan port with which connections
could be made by a lateral road with the trunk
liro and the coast cities OF Brazil have moth
ing To expect from fho development OF the
AnIcan scheme unless possibly the COLE" belts
of Rio and Santos can BIZ connected with the
main line in Paraguay. II these two countiir>
chccrfully unite in the preliminary surveys FOL
a railway which will b. intended primarily Il
Ibcnclt the West Coast and Central America
the United States certainly has no ground fol
Withholding its approval Of the opening and
tentative stage of the enterprise. The prcsi'
dents selection OF McSSrs. Cas>att, Pullman
and Davis as the American Commissioners is
admirable, and will greatly stimulate interest
in the project.