New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-12

canal for a third of the distance Will De une
boundary between two jealous and qunrIeis1Sniic
States, which cannot be induced to setue t nsI
disputes. On the Isthmus the United States "yN
eminent now has undisputed control over nv
Pspama Railway in time Of insnrrectlon, ana ny
treaty with Colombia II already has the pTivnese
OF defending the proposed interoceanic waterway
by landing marines and occupying Colon ana ana
Panama in emergencies like that OF 1885. inc
same treaty rights which suficed then tof spe
protection Of railway transit would De enGIeiy
adequate for the defence OF the canal.
The advocates of the Panama Camel do not make
sufficient allowance for the prejudice creaEu
against their enterprise by past misnAnaSene II
and failure. The original project OF tltleV I,
waterway has been abandoned after the cxpenGi-
lures for q fraction OF the work have largely eA-
cecded the estimates for the completed fanun
This is a confession on the part OF the engineers
and projectors that there were gross msoadcnla-
tions at the outset, When they invite investors
20 contribute 800, 100000 for the complexion o.
the canal they labor under the disadvantage OF
enpealinQ to o public whose credulity has been
exhausted. The engineering difficulties may ho n
be insurmountabe, and the new estimates may e
within the range Of probability; but ~ viii ne
hard TO convince capitalists that miscaiculatlons
have not been repeated that wasteful mismah H
ment viii be ayerted and that Sld0V ~ Of
00'000,000 The Nicaragua work may be
largely experimental, but the enterprise has not
been discredited by reckless management and was,e-
fnl expenditures. There ought TO be lees GuI-
c,ltv IN raising the capital for the American
work than for the completion of the French canal
II little Is known about the practlcaoihty on one
project, altogether TOD much IS KNOWN a'0"' 'H'
Another point waich the parttsors Of the Pm
ANA Canal either overlook or underrate Is the N
tprnafional prejudice that would be excited Dy
the COMPLETION Of an abandoned French worN1nder
American guarantee They contend that Cob
ercss ought TO send q commission OF engineers 20
rontes. and il the Isthmus line be found upon
investigation to he more economical and praotIca-
bic that the principal and interest s9ond ne
fhe work finished They ask the American Gov
eminent to do what the French Government per,
sistenty refuses to do; suc soa t ga rams
Of the French bohdhclders would have u be recog5
hized in some way, and the compromise Wonid
largely Increase the American GoyeraIem n ,fs s
Colombia had an1uired absolute ownership 6 the
canal property, ire French shareholders wouin
lose every rranc invested. Jealousy ana TeSlt
ment would inevitably be excited If the unlted
States Government were to intervene and convert a
French failure into On American success. Oteer
things being equal It would be wiser poney nTr
can enterprise than to attempt to coinpleae 1te nc
Panama Canal In which millions OF the savings
Of French investors have been sunk. ,,n,.
Whether other things are equal Is dihcuit
onestion for an impartial observer 70 decide IN the
face 81 Conflicting evidence. The Nicaragua Chnai
COMPANY has not yet undertaken those sections OF
tbe work which present the most serious engineer
ING difficulties and It is at least premature TO con-
clnde that the waterway can be o2ened for either
81 o0. 600 900 or S120,000,00Q: The diplomatic
controversies between Costa Rica and NcaT9ig qua
have not been adjusted and the CLAYTON Bnlwef
States Government can be justified IN lending ts
credit to the enterprise there ought to be iul aGd
satisfactory assurance not only that the work viii
be conducted in economical, workmanliSe; ana
scientific way but elso that the rivalries Of Costa
RIGA and Nicaragua will be permanently dJusted
and that the responsibility q defending, the canal
and guarantee It's naturalization will not he
shared with any European Power. In any event
an American canal policy. strong, positive and
definite, is indispensable; Either the Panama or
~ tho next decade Whichever project survives
the collapse of the other the United States ought
to assume the sole responsibility of protecting
Wv of securing this result than that Of lending
the Governments credit to the work.