People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1892-12-02
THE PANAMA CANAL.
What the Row in the French Cham
Der May Result In.
American Rights to BE Sacrificed in the
Collapse-Railroad Privileges De
strOyed-O Government to Send
an Agent to Investigate.
Panama Canal Scandal.

dudLid Ndudl SCdHuhis
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2S-The row in
the French chamber of deputies and
the action in the French courts con-
corning the Panama Canal Co and the
scandals thereunto annexed are likely
to have an American attachment in the
near future 1t has been no secret for
some time past that there has been a
very spirited contest between the Pa
cifc Mail Steamship Co and what is
commonly known as the Transatlantic
French Co. for the trade of the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans and way stations for
some time past The Panama Railroad
Co. is corporation that was chartered
by the state of New York. The Pan
anna Canal Co. is corporation
that was chartered by the gov
eminent of France The French
corporation has absorbed the Amer
lean corporation operated on the
Panama isthmus, and the failure of the
canal corporation planned by De Les
seps took with it the railroad corpora
ton chartered by the state of New
York. The receiver appointed by the
canal company has control Of the affairs
Of the railroad company. The receiver
is a Frenchman, and. of course, is
friendly to French interests, and more
friendly to European interests than to
American interests. This receiver has
just issued an order fOrbidding the issu-
ance of through bills Of lading to
American shippers between the At
lantic and Pacific coasts and vice versa.
This was a privilege that American
shippers always enjoyed over the Pan
anna railroad, and now that an or
der has been issued against it American
business interests, both on the Pacific
and Atlantic coasts, have been appeal
ing to the state department for assist
ance
What the administration will do
about it nobody Of course knows How
ever, a confidential agent of the state
department, whose name does not ap-
pear as salaried officer on the stat
department rolls, but who is paid from
what is known as the contingent ex-
pense or secret service fund of the state
department. leaves for Panama to re-
port on the condition of affairs there.
He will go from New York on a Pacific
mail steamer. This may or may not be
suggestive. The competition between
the Pacific Mail and the Transatlantic
French Co. has been very bitter. Five
or six months ago the Transatlantic
French Co. was well on the wav
Of having the best of it. 1t is under.
stood that this company had concluded
a contract with the Illinois Central
Railroad Co. and by that means had the
right of way not only to st. Louis, Chi.
cago and New York, but to the internal
traffic of the United States generally.
The cholera scare, however, and the
attendant quarantine regulations broke
off this deal, and the Pacific Mail Steam
ship Co. has since been able to keep its
rival from consummating its contract
with the Illinois Central Railroad Co
The agent of the state department
who goes to Panama to observe proceed
ings and report is believed here to be
very friendly to the Pacific Mail Co.
There is strong SUSPICION that the or
der OF the receiver in charge of the af.
fairs OF the Panama Railroad Co. is work
ing to the benefit of European business
interests and to the prejudice of Amer
lean business interests Perhaps there
may be sharp contention regarding
the rights of the French receiver
to operate on or manage the af-
fairs of a corporation chartered
by the state of New York. At
any rate the chances are that there will
be very pointed American end to the
ugly squabble now going on in the
French chamber of deputies and that
will commence in the French courts in
few weeks The American business
men and the American men of affairs
will be apt to watch matters in the
Panama canal with interest for the en-.
suing few months.