New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-30
1yrrRocEANIc CANAL PROJECTS.
OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED
nY WIZ UNITED srATIh.

OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED
BY TlIE UNITED s7ATi>
TO the EdItor o. Tho Tribune.
-. once uuon ume W., more than twenty
year, pg,, tho United States lad an opportunity 10
,oo,rJ tho istcroccanic canal routes Il this con
',"o,, treaty yqs negotiated with Nicaragua IN
lsG1 eufng ct anti rosie 'hr u tai h'V 'i
.t ,ro..ai,e FIR A ,alal und + the joint protection
- both governments Then, in February. led9 Il
tr,otv was NEGOTIATED with Colombia through 'N'
rricd states Minister nj hoeota, aided by The Hun
Caleb Cushius as spoo! al envoy. Ihi' treaty e"'
l.uicd the Monroe Doctlne o. excluding european
,,ferventlon In American Affairs. ana IN - shu
rtlcl. secured TO the United states absolute contr'
~ tlc proposed canal across tAe Ltmrs Of Panama
puluc spirited citizens and leading capitalists !"
ve-Yorli org4ul1,d company 90 CO. iiu't IT, "W"H'
whom were Peer C1ol or. Marshall -. Roberts, Na"
NJ Eyarte Cornelius T.. Garrison, l"crnrk \.
Corllins. william T. Goldman, and N4lA"n H.
Duncan. There va, - opl0iion 10 ue enterprise
-, 80 merits either IN or ont 81 Congress. But party
feeling was runulr Aish and II was ncnr u" cosr
q an Administrator. Tho United States senate Ga
not rauiy he treaty. siIoned consideration OF
tbe eve ton rerlnp, utdor tie belief that u c"i.d
he rs wcll done at any Subsequent Time
gYt Che lo-t opportunity never REQUIRED. Europa"
Governments w,re ready 70 nvdl t"em'".'"' ~ our
NEGLECT They tc.aA overture, aid n's"l ''''I's
toi rr toward control q fAc isAmus ~ te"s"iVca.
81 "a d o
project. whose miscarriage Is now CONFUSING '"'
French Republic.
Had tie Amc.lcan treaty of 1sG0 been mt.hed, the
French Republic would have been saved II great
scandal an enormous cXreus", anc sume WrhA'ss u
a. stability Tie United states would have Incurred
no risk aud siiorcd 10 loss. The company wonid
long b. fore this tme have proved hy iis American
cu-oeer, Whether ITO Panama canal practicable
emf -prl.e or ae-lon u..t,G iupo sibhy. Ana, In
either case tle control o. tho i.tainus would nave
remained IN American lands Tie canal Woad nave
been mnGc, d not at banana. then IN Nic"rnS@ i'F
tie Nicaragua Canal would not then have been ie-
tard,d and hampcrcd 10y tie existence OF II rival
European enterprise.
All Ills OF course, IS merely historic. But the
chief value II history Is in It's warnings TO rs not TO
,cpcat the MISTAKE, Of hose Who have gone before.
I The collapse OF the French enterprise seems likely
10 open the way COR 10 resume tie pu@luon o.
chi ar !tcr ia all ihe'e queouol'. Are We gong 70
accent ~ or shall We again neglect i4 We all
revere lie Monroe Doctrine as a theory but lhsEe
j. always omeDody to object IL we Try 10 put IL III
B practice anywhere. ~,
Offering us opportunities fog tie expsn ION OK our
commerce, tho defence Of Our coasts ana me IN
crease Of our dOmn We ne oSo, not e ISy , in.
them. The world does not stand san. N9,Hi'ICc
gaWs. European Governments are hot "ie nor
1Nud. ...
There was another project nearly cQntemporaneous
with the Barren Canal Treaty." similar N character
and similarly nesotcd BY the eehpt e. - l !aur wa to
Us tie horbor If It. Thomas. the 6est point II .
naval and coaling station 2 OIL me Wes, hanGs
/ II n friendly though comparatively feeble power.
Put We may wake up SON" morning ~ an unpleasant
surprise there a. at Panama IT, i19May ~ .o
mover would be q constant menace 10 the 'nlted
e .na in"o9 TSSrG a9a N T. s n; ssn'
The 1lud Dec. 1rJ2.